Despite the request from prospective purchaser Elon Musk to verify the number of fraudulent accounts supported within the Twitter social media platform, company executives told employees the purchase is going forward regardless of Musk requested verification.
(Bloomberg) – Twitter Inc. executives told employees on Thursday that the $44 billion deal to sell the company to billionaire Elon Musk is moving forward as planned, and that it won’t renegotiate the agreed-upon price of $54.20 per share.
Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s top lawyer and head of policy, also told workers at an all-hands meeting that there is “no such thing as a deal being on hold,” according to people who attended the meeting. She was pushing back on claims from Musk over the past week that he is pausing the deal while he learns more about the number of bots and spam accounts on the social-media service. (read more)
Immediately after the executive meeting with employees, and perhaps in a proactive effort to control any content changes to the platform, the executives then announced a new internal “crisis misinformation” team {LINK}. Essentially new rules that will give Twitter censors new tools and justifications to block and control content.
[TWITTER] – […] During moments of crisis, establishing whether something is true or false can be exceptionally challenging. To determine whether claims are misleading, we require verification from multiple credible, publicly available sources, including evidence from conflict monitoring groups, humanitarian organizations, open-source investigators, journalists, and more.
Conversation moves quickly during periods of crisis, and content from accounts with wide reach are most likely to rack up views and engagement. To reduce potential harm, as soon as we have evidence that a claim may be misleading, we won’t amplify or recommend content that is covered by this policy across Twitter – including in the Home timeline, Search, and Explore. In addition, we will prioritize adding warning notices to highly visible Tweets and Tweets from high profile accounts, such as state-affiliated media accounts, verified, official government accounts.
[…] People on Twitter will be required to click through the warning notice to view the Tweet, and the content won’t be amplified or recommended across the service. In addition, Likes, Retweets, and Shares will be disabled.
[…] Content moderation is more than just leaving up or taking down content, and we’ve expanded the range of actions we may take to ensure they’re proportionate to the severity of the potential harm. We’ve found that not amplifying or recommending certain content, adding context through labels, and in severe cases, disabling engagement with the Tweets, are effective ways to mitigate harm. (read more)
This new approach toward information control at Twitter comes a day after the Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) said they were pausing the “DHS Disinformation Governance Bureau,” and appears to be a private sector effort by the social media platform to maintain the same purpose.
Put together the two actions by the company appear to be: (1) force Elon Musk into a position of purchasing the company at the previously agreed price regardless of the fraud that may be represented in the company financials; and (2) in case Musk goes ahead anyway, put systems in place to block any attempt to restructure the platform.
While this is only one company amid several; this is a battle inside the social media sphere that highlights just how extreme the control mechanisms are, and the entrenched position of Big Tech to avoid any challenge to their stranglehold on information content.
The ideological war continues. We have two generals putting their wealth into the game and leading the fight, Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
I am sure McCarthy will be pleased with this new Twitter policy. They finally listened to him.
If Elon paid for bot accounts then he is allowed to own that many bot accounts. You get what you paid for.
Once he controls all the bots, think of what he can do with the information flow.
Did they hire Nina Jankowicz to head up their crisis misinformation team? I understand she’s available.
Do not be surprised if she shows up as head of a consulting firm or think tank.
Putting her in a think tank is as appropriate as having Charles Manson headline “It’s a Manson family Christmas special”.
Kind of like the communist from Cuba that runs DHS.
I would imagine which one depends on who she has to have….um….you know, the thing….with.
I think she’d do well on Saturday Night Live.
Scary Poppins lol.
Twitter lied about the number of users they had. They can’t force Elon to go through. Twitter is dying.
A couple of things:
Maybe exposing those ‘bots’ was the intention all along?
Having been involved in many corporate ownership transitions, this snake of a lawyer is a liar. She’s blowing smoke in an attempt to brindle inside whistle-blowers. There are about a hundred ways to drag out and solidify information during the due diligence phase. What that company lawyer is doing is attempting to rally the hard-core commie employees into no more Project Veritas exposures while they whip up screens to hide the truth.
^ This man knows.
A public company I used to work for was going to buy their competitor. During due diligence, they got to look at all the books and the deal fell through. My boss at the time who was involved in it said even though the deal fell through we got everything we wanted. ( Read as: a good look at their competitors books.)
I’m no lawyer, but my first impression was that Twitter is “flailing about”.
We can sure hope so. Has the SEC voiced admonishments for cooking the books? Have advertisers?
Yep, the lawyer played the only hand she had. Our Hero has enough money to play this out in court. And she will lose.
Musk may not need to do anything to play this out. The SEC could step in and start inquiries into Twitter cooking the books. Or Shareholder rights law firms may step in and sue Twitter over this.
“Crisis Misinfo Team”. LOL.
Hopefully it goes the same way as the Ministry of Mis/Disinformation
Of course , with leftists , they can find a ‘crisis’ every day.
Made-to-order!
“Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s top lawyer and head of policy, also told workers at an all-hands meeting that there is “no such thing as a deal being on hold”
This woman in setting herself up for a rude awakening. Wait till she get put on the stand in a shareholder and investor lawsuit.
She can try to cash a blank check. Of course she can sue and it will end up in court with her being sued by , Elon, shareholders and advertising clients probably as well as the SEC. Then again she maybe out for her husband’s maternity leave by then.
She’s just another one of the Indian cabal running sillycon valley companies into the ground.
Putting an Indian in a c-suite or senior leadership role is like putting a bean counter in charge. Short term profits at the cost of long term imagination, innovation, and ultimately growth.
There’s a big reason why there are not any major innovative international successful tech, biomedical, or other such companies coming out of India and Asia at large (unless they are underwritten and managed from the US) despite being so “smart at STEM.”
They’ll miss whitey when we’re gone.
Whitey isn’t going anywhere
Sounds like another white Christian woman that needs monitoring. Seriously, is this company foreign owned?
So the new owner can’t undo the censorship policy? This sounds like an executive order from zero…
A phone and a pen.
If this keeps going, they’re gonna have to ban the book “1984”.
Too many braindead Libs are gonna start seeing the similarities>> Wake Up SHOCK.
The braindead libs cannot read..a book. A whole book is too long.
Twitter negotiating in bad faith and while any SEC filings and such scrutiny is nothing to worry about as I feel the SEC will be persuaded to let things slide with Twitter’s inaccuracy of claims.
But advertisers will NOT let that slide.
As for Elon Musk, he has pointed out examples of bad faith dealings and can exit the agreement without paying penalty. And when he does, Twitter SHOULD go into a freefall and get sued into oblivion by advertisers and others.
Or…. Bill Gates could come in and buy Twitter instead once Musk walks away.
the problem is that once the Establishment sets their sights on someone/something they never let go. Musk would probably not win a fight here because the Government wouldn’t allow him to. But at this point, it seems like some other prominent figures are about to enter the ring against the Government.
Who might that be?
Who ???
I pray Elon musk proves that twitter lied in their SEC filings. That’s almost as bad as lying to the IRS.
I still believe Elon is positioning for a shareholder lawsuit based on their fraud which is ultimately damaging shareholders. He is the largest (or second largest if Blackrock’s purchase actually went through) shareholder and you can bet he will sue them if the deal falls through. If he walks and pays the $1B penalty, he will get that back on the lawsuit. They can have a choice, reduce the price and move forward or Elon walks. Of course, even if they sell at a reduced price the shareholders may/should sue. I know from what I am seeing if I owned Twitter stock I’d be taking with an attorney.
I know the board has some civil liability. Do the executives (e.g., CEO, CFO, etc.) also bear civil liability? I would think so.
TexSwede: Yes. The Execs and BOD members have indemnity agreements and D&O insurance policies that protect from a number of claims, but they all have exclusions for fraudulent behavior. If there is any documentation that shows that officers of the company knowingly made material misstatements in the company’s SEC filings, they will be on their own and the company and company’s legal counsel will disassociate from them.
I think it’s very likely the BOD would be able to claim that they were not aware of fraud, but not so the officers who signed the SEC docs (CEO and CFO typically).
“People on Twitter will be required to click through the warning notice to view the Tweet, and the content won’t be amplified or recommended across the service. In addition, Likes, Retweets, and Shares will be disabled.”
Twitter readily admitting they have the ability to amplify (or deamplify) certain content.
…and would that include the use of bots?
Let the law suits commence…The SEC price is fraudulent…
Does anybody know how many Twitter/FB/Youtube/ employees are actually American citizens? It seems like all of these tech giants have hired a large number of foreigners who hate America. Maybe I’m wrong but I don’t think so.
I have entertained that thought for a few years but came to a slightly different conclusion.
I think that the aliens who have been brought into Big tech companies to serve in various technical roles do not necessarity ‘hate” the USA. IMHO they do not understand the spirit or zeitgeist that drives the truly patriotic conservative citizens of USA. Nor do the foreigners understand the historical conditions under which our nation was founded, or the very large importance of the First Amendment in everything we do.
Most of the foreigners employed by Big Tech companies who we can see via tweets or YouTube videos are young – under 40. They are probably just as much brainwashed from understanding the value of our American foundational principles of individual freedom as are our own younger generations.
If they are H1B visas, they are no better than indentured servants, at the whim of the company. Of course they don’t understand freedom. They have a caste system in India and servitude here.
H1B visas. Silicon Valley is addicted to them. We’ve needed to reduce them for years, decades now.
Musk is an odd guy, but he’s no fool. This deal will never go through as written unless Twit shows it’s not a platform full of Bots and we all know it totally is. All of this social media stuff is as fake as a three-dollar bill and always has been.
Fake News, Fake social media, fake President, fake GOP…… every bloody thing is fake except rising gas prices and a tanking economy.
A great awakening is approaching.
Behold, the Cleansing Wind appears on the horizon.
You bet it is, Grumpy! Just not the way the self-proclaimed “elites” intended. EEEEE-HAAAWWWW! 🤣
Meta. Fake world.
Uh can’t he just get rid of it after?
Yes, he should be able to. Along with mass firings.
BUT why should he pay for a fraudulent package that he bid on under the pretext of users and ad revenues that they will not verify or show proof of?
Why would you buy a “new” car that had a trashed carpet/interior, blown motor, bald flat tires, no exhaust, tranny stuck in first, and no fuel tank or glass for full price when you can see that it is NOT what they advertised or claimed?
You said Tranny. 🤫
There’s no need for this new policy if Twitter’s “management” really thought Musk was locked into closing. They can see the train’s light in the tunnel ahead. If Musk’s lawyers extracted the usual reps and warranties language in this deal Musk has a respectable argument that Twitter materially misrepresented the business fundamentals, i.e., the data Twitter uses to market its platform. Neither side wants that data and its flawed algorithm to be dragged out in public or become the basis for a shareholder lawsuit. The deal may go forward, but methinks Musk will get the sort of guarantees, perhaps from third-parties, that refund Musk a portion of the purchase price should management’s rep on the site’s bots and algorithm have been materially understated.
Per SD ^: “… 2) in case Musk goes ahead anyway [ with the purchase], put systems in place to block any attempt to restructure the platform.”
I don’t know how this could be possible. Maybe make twit a public utility? If he were to take twit private, how could they block? ???
I’ll try who is John Galt for the daily double,Alex…
They’re going all in because they’re going to hang when they lose.
Twitter stands at
Twitter Inc
As of May 19, 2022 • 3:59 PM EDT
NYSE: TWTR
37.28USD
+0.44(1.19%)
He will renegotiate…….or send the company into a tailspin….and maybe that was the intention?
Musk is not your average Twit, he is the coal mine and Twitter is the canary in this scenario. Whatever the outcome Twitter’s value as a Liberal tool is now ZERO….Thank you Elon Musk!!!
Not yet…….. but give him a little more time…..
Elon Musk is a little unpredictable. You never know what he’s going to say.
Twitter insists that their misinformation must be believed regardless of the facts and then doubles down on censorship. Sounds about right for a commie organization. Let the lawsuits against the big shots at Twitter begin for lying to their share holders.
Musk causing twitter exposure is enough for me in terms of twitter being a shlock company.
I want to see him rip them to shreds legally. And for all of America to watch him do it.
…and TWEET every detail.
“The ideological war continues. We have two generals putting their wealth into the game and leading the fight, Donald Trump and Elon Musk.”
Exactly right!
And I would vote for either of them…Hey there’s an idea!
Maybe……. The whole purchasing Twitter thing is simply part of the plan that Musk is fed up and simply wants to destroy the platform. Since Musk and Trump have coordinated, Twitter is being exposed which triggers them to implement even worse policies that generate less income. Shareholders must be seething.
If Musk walks away it will be after all the laundry is hung out and the share price has plummeted. Shareholders will file lawsuits that will bankrupt the company setting up a huge discount for Musk or simply causing the company to fold which will then be snapped up by Musk for even less.
I believe this is the new leveraged buyout scheme that took down so many companies in the 80’s. This is much like some residential property sales that the buyer offers more than asking price, does an inspection that finds problems, renegotiates to pay less, or walks away knowing that now the seller must now disclose those problems to every new buyer.
$44B. I wonder why Musk didn’t bid on Ukraine? There was a fire-sale on the Country. The US bought it cheap at $44B.
I check one account on the Twitter and that is @TheLastRefuge2
They don’t know me and I like it that way.
Yeah, they know you. They know us all.
Oh great
Unless you’re running a reliable VPN and using an onion router, they know where you live each time you visit Twitter. That’s just the way the Internet works. But, do they care? Only if the FBI decides you’re a domestic terrorist.
I believe Musk’s true intent is to take down the Bots temporarily. And, if lucky, to sink the company with lawsuits.
FJB
And the horse he rode in on……..#0bamagate
Smile of the day
Perfect!!! May they all ROT…cretins @ the door 😡
God works in mysterious and wonderful ways. And I’m convinced he has a sense of humour, as well.
I reserve the right to remain skeptical of Musk and his motives.
“Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s top lawyer and head of policy, also told workers at an all-hands meeting that there is “no such thing as a deal being on hold,” according to people who attended the meeting.” Sure there is. He doesn’t sign anything, you got nothing. No paperwork and money changes hands, you ain’t got no deal toots.
Exactly. How are they going to get their hands on his money without suing to make him perform the deal, which would open them up to the discovery of all of the stuff they want to keep hidden.
Bingo. Yep, sue or coax him to the table. You’ve perhaps seen the story reported quite a few places now, that half of Sleepy Joe’s 22M twitter followers are bots. Here’s the easy back ‘o the envelope math: Musk casts aspersions on the claim that <5% of Twitter users are bots. It claims to have 217M users. Five percent of 217M is 10.8M meaning all those 10.8M are following Sleepy Joe. [sniff sniff] Nope. The 5% doesn’t pass the sniff test does it? Ergo, Elon pushing back is absolutely the right move.
Them’s the rules…ha.
Every business sale has a period called due diligence. Musk has every right to take advantage of that. It is during that time that the buyer has the opportunity to examine the veracity of all claims made by the seller regarding the business. It is more than just obvious that the revenue generated by advertising is based on, as Sundance has pointed out, the amount of unique users. Musk’s Offer is based on the advertising revenue. If the claims from the seller are not correct, then Musk can alter or withdraw his offer.
I love it. Again, this is desperation seeping out. They know their ideas are as popular as a fart in a spacesuit if they have the slightest push back or differing opinion their dumb sh_it falls to pieces.
Good stuff. If you really listen to what they say, you hear fear.
Oh, my guess, Elon can handle this and that includes the lawyer Ms. Gadde.
or worse, in a wetsuit. Take my word for it.
Has Musk affixed his signature to the “deal?” No. Then a “deal” is not a “deal” until the fat lady sings.
Watch the twitter idiots use the new policy to shut down Musk’s viral tweets about twitter and the bots, etc.
Musk and Twitter will be destroyed by TRUMP AND TRUTH SOCIAL!!!
Don’t they already do this? Like w/ Covid and a bunch of other stuff?
LOL!!!
Wacktivists. Good one, Elon!
(And see the ensuing butthurt fr/ Libs in the comments. hahaha)
Me thinks this lawyer is dumb as a box of rocks. There is no deal yet! There was an offer made in good faith for the Twitter. I am damn sure Elon has put stipulations on that offer.
When I buy property, I first make an offer for said piece of ground and stipulate there will be no reservations, it will come at closing with a chain of deeds and warranty on deed. I purchase all rights, minerals, water etc. If any part is of sale is questionable it is dropped.
I am quite sure Elons lawyers have done their due diligence.
There will be a deal at closing if Elon is satisfied. Not when that ignorant lawyer thinks it will be.
Interesting how the dissolution of the Disinformation Bureau by the Feds Deep State met an early demise at about the same time Elon is talking taking over Twitter. Maybe the Disinformation Bureau didn’t want anyone to see that Twitter and most MSM and social media cabals are played by the same band?
I would bet a doughnut Peter Thiel’s wallet and brain power is in the mix too.
The guy running the ministry of twitter truth.
Such a bright eyed, teethy, smiling little monster.
Makes you want to soak a towel and snap it at the little turd.
The contract states that Twitter must prove their allegation that only 5% of their users are fake and they have refused. Strike 1
Elon hired auditor, SparkToro, who found 49.3% of Biden’s 22.4 million followers were fake and that leaving Elon to believe that 20% of their accounts are fake. Strike 2
Twitter’s position is untenable as they will lose in court, then that will cause an exodus of advertisers, then that will cause big stock holders to dump the burning brand. Strike 3
My Twitter account is throttled again. I can read posts, that’s about it. Im also on Truth Social, where I can wander around freely. I honestly don’t think Elon will go through with the purchase, I see massive lawsuits Elon will come out on top.
“(2) in case Musk goes ahead anyway, put systems in place to block any attempt to restructure the platform.”
$rm -dr AllEmployees
or something like that
The executives telling employees that the deal will go through is to prevent people from jumping ship. The minute the “talent” feels like the ship is sinking, everyone will be looking for another job.
Very insightful, agreed!
“During moments of crisis”
Ummm….. we’re going into year 3 of the covid “crisis”.
Do not give these arse-clowns one inch.
There is an easy solution to their disinformation plans. Every body In this department, and well every employee in general, YOURE FIRED. Take a hike.
As the owner of a private at will company, Musk can crush these idiots without a problem.
Exactly. Who do these people think they are? Do they really believe that someone like musk is going to go along with their shenanigans? He is known for firing people. They’ll be the first ones to go
The ONLY thing they know is a technical skill and Communist dogma learned from a professor. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to hear of suicides as this corporate purchase moves forward and real changes begin to get mandated. If Trump actually does rejoin Twitter, they will be jumping from windows.
They’re creating their narrative for musks hostile takeover and whatever he says or does that is contrary to this line in the sand they’ve drawn will be labeled as right wing extremism and disinformation. Not only will they be preparing legal attacks against musk, they will attempt to control the official truth, while undermining musk in typical propaganda fashion.
As musk has now revealed himself to be a right wing enemy, they will fight everything he does, every step of the way. And if they can’t get their way, they will attempt to destroy twitter on their way out by encouraging users and clients to leave the right wing extremist platform altogether.
Musk predicted this.
Their actions are a high tech “poison pill” intended to discourage Musk. He certainly knows if he completes the purchase at the agreed upon price, his investment will be devastated by a 2 pronged attack. Advertisers & others will sue because Twitter exaggerated the living, breathing audience. They will sue to recover excessive ad payments + damages and to punish Musk. Staff will delay implementation of Musk’s free speech policy, and that will slow growth in the living, breathing audience. Paying back overcharges while suffering diminished ad revenues will devastate Twitter’s finances & stature.
Twitter will not survive after being outed and ridiculed by Project Veritas, Mr. Musk, etc. They are being ridiculed nonstop.
I don’t think they will win this one. Their staff and management look like what they are- fools.
Agreed^^^^ Too much damage has already been done
And they may well be criminals. If Musk’s (and Trump’s) suspicions are correct, “that’s a federal crime.” We shall see.
More like criminals who fudged an SEC filing
So, without actually buying Twitter he has exposed the company as a propaganda wing of the Democrat Party?
Bravo!
Sure, but it’s not like that wasn’t obvious already.
Maybe. Just because TPTB are giving Musk a bit of a challenge, doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy this…
But I personally no longer posses the energy to jump bandwagons.
It’s fascinating to watch, but I’m not in the position to play Billionaire games.
Oh – and I think that “social media” is a pox.
Perhaps to us, but maybe the high profile sale will let others see the light.