{"id":1620185,"date":"2022-08-23T11:31:53","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T15:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1620185"},"modified":"2022-08-23T11:32:05","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T15:32:05","slug":"whistleblower-says-twitter-lied-to-musk-about-spam-bots-with-possible-implications-for-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whistleblower-says-twitter-lied-to-musk-about-spam-bots-with-possible-implications-for-trial\/","title":{"rendered":"Whistleblower Says Twitter Lied to Musk About Spam Bots, With Possible Implications for Trial"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhistleblower-says-twitter-lied-to-musk-about-spam-bots-with-possible-implications-for-trial%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1620185&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/t-whistleblower\">whistleblower<\/a> who served as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/t-twitter\">Twitter<\/a>\u2019s security chief said in regulatory filings obtained by The Epoch Times that the social media company misled tech entrepreneur <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/t-elon-musk\">Elon Musk<\/a> about the number of bots on the platform, with possible implications for the legal battle between the Tesla chief and Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>Peiter Zatko, who has publicly come forward as the whistleblower, made a series of explosive allegations regarding Twitter\u2019s cybersecurity policies in a disclosure filed in July with federal regulators (<a href=\"https:\/\/s3.documentcloud.org\/documents\/22186683\/twitter-whistleblower-disclosure.pdf\">pdf<\/a>), including the claim of Twitter \u201clying about bots to Elon Musk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Zatko\u2019s disclosure alleges that Twitter uses an \u201copaque metric\u201d called monetizable daily active users (mDAU), rather than an earlier metric of total monthly users that was subject to big swings, including when spam and bot accounts were removed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom Twitter\u2019s perspective, \u2018mDAU\u2019 was an improvement because it could internally define the mDAU formula, and thereby report numbers that would reassure shareholders and advertisers,\u201d the disclosure states, adding that executive bonuses\u2014which could be in excess of $10 million\u2014are tied to mDAU growth.<\/p>\n<p>The disclosure alleges that Twitter executives are \u201cincentivized to avoid counting spam bots as mDAU\u201d in order for the platform to be more appealing to advertisers.\u00a0It also claims there are \u201cmany millions\u201d of active accounts that aren\u2019t part of the mDAU calculations because they\u2019re spam bots or Twitter doesn\u2019t think they can monetize them, but their presence on the platform still affects user experience.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018We Don\u2019t Really Know\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>As Twitter\u2019s erstwhile head of security, Zatko asked the company\u2019s Head of Site Integrity\u2014who\u2019s responsible for addressing platform manipulation, including bots\u2014what the underlying spam bot count was, according to the disclosure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t really know,\u201d was the response, according to the disclosure, which said that \u201cthe company could not even provide an accurate upper bound on the total number of spam bots on the platform.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The reasons for not being able to provide an accurate bot count included difficulty with measurement and that \u201csenior management had no appetite to properly measure the prevalence of bot accounts\u201d because, as the disclosure claims, \u201cthey were concerned that if accurate measurements ever became public, it would harm the image and valuation of the company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Zatko\u2019s disclosure also includes the allegation that the true number of spam accounts and bots on Twitter is probably \u201cmeaningfully higher\u201d that the 5 percent of daily monetizable users that the social media firm claims.<\/p>\n<p>The whistleblower also alleges that Twitter executives have \u201clittle or no personal incentive\u201d to accurately count the number of bots and that \u201cdeliberate ignorance was the norm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Epoch Times has reached out to Twitter with a request for comment, but received no reply by press time.<\/p>\n<p>Zatko\u2019s disclosure could give Musk\u2019s legal team more ammunition in their legal fight against Twitter. The two sides are scheduled to go to trial in October in a Delaware court.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Meaningfully Higher\u2019 Bot Count?<\/h2>\n<p>Musk and Twitter are facing off in court over the tech mogul\u2019s reversal of a bid to buy the social media platform.<\/p>\n<p>Key to Musk\u2019s backing out of the deal is his claim that Twitter\u2019s longstanding position that spam accounts and bots make up fewer than 5 percent of monetizable daily users is a fallacy.<\/p>\n<p>A Twitter spokesperson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/technology\/2022\/08\/23\/twitter-musk-trial-whistleblower\/\">told The Washington Post<\/a> in response to Zatko\u2019s claim that it \u201cfully stands by\u201d its earlier statements on the percentage of bots on the platform.<\/p>\n<p>Twitter has sued Musk, seeking to force him to follow through with his $44 billion buyout offer.<\/p>\n<p>Musk has countersued, alleging that Twitter misled his team about Twitter\u2019s true advertising base and accusing Twitter of breach of contract and fraud. The buyout agreement includes a provision for a $1 billion termination fee to be paid by whichever side is considered to have broken the deal.<\/p>\n<p>In early August, Musk signaled that his offer to buy Twitter might go through if the social media firm were to provide him with accurate data on user accounts and bots.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf Twitter simply provides their method of sampling 100 accounts and how they\u2019re confirmed to be real, the deal should proceed on original terms,\u201d Musk wrote on Aug. 6 in response to a Twitter user\u2019s comment. \u201cHowever, if it turns out that their SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] filings are materially false, then it should not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Musk also wrote that he wants to challenge\u00a0Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal to a debate about the number of fake accounts on the platform.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hereby challenge [Parag Agrawal] to a public debate about the Twitter bot percentage. Let him prove to the public that Twitter has [less than 5 percent] fake or spam daily users!\u201d Musk wrote in a post on Twitter.<\/p>\n<h2>Musk \u2018Hoodwinked by Twitter\u2019?<\/h2>\n<p>Twitter has pushed back on Musk\u2019s allegation that he was duped into signing the buyout agreement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccording to Musk, he\u2014the billionaire founder of multiple companies, advised by Wall Street bankers and lawyers\u2014was hoodwinked by Twitter into signing a $44 billion merger agreement. That story is as implausible and contrary to fact as it sounds,\u201d Twitter stated in an Aug. 4 court filing.<\/p>\n<p>Twitter also has accused Musk of creating a \u201cpublic spectacle\u201d to acquire the company while alleging that his public comments about Twitter caused its stock price to plummet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRather than bear the cost of the market downturn, as the merger agreement requires, Musk wants to shift it to Twitter\u2019s stockholders,\u201d Twitter\u2019s lawyers wrote in the lawsuit. \u201cSince signing the merger agreement, Musk has repeatedly disparaged Twitter and the deal, creating business risk for Twitter and downward pressure on its share price.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Musk\u2019s countersuit against Twitter accuses the firm of intentionally miscounting the number of bots on the platform \u201cas part of its scheme to mislead investors about the company\u2019s prospects.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Musk\u2019s lawyers also argued that Twitter\u2019s reliance on the metric of mDAU as a basis for calculating revenue is misleading.<\/p>\n<p>Further, Musk\u2019s legal team <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/elon-musk-subpoenas-ex-twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey_4681160.html\">has subpoenaed<\/a> former Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey in a bid to obtain documents and communications relating to Twitter\u2019s use of user metrics other than monetizable daily active users, \u201cincluding but not limited to, daily active users.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dorsey has yet to issue a public comment on the subpoena.<\/p>\n<p><em>Jack Phillips contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"author_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"one_author_block round\">\n<div class=\"top_row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/author-tom-ozimek\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Tom Ozimek has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education. The best writing advice he&#8217;s ever heard is from Roy Peter Clark: &#8216;Hit your target&#8217; and &#8216;leave the best for last.&#8217;\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A whistleblower who served as Twitter\u2019s security chief said in regulatory filings obtained by The Epoch Times that the social media company misled tech entrepreneur Elon Musk about the number<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1620185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1620185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1620185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1620185\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1620185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1620185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1620185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}