Twitter to Share Data at Heart of Musk Deal Dispute

Analysts have doubts about Elon Musk's notion of relying on subscriptions instead of ads at Twitter Britta Pedersen POOL/AFP/File
Analysts have doubts about Elon Musk's notion of relying on subscriptions instead of ads at Twitter Britta Pedersen POOL/AFP/File
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Twitter to Share Data at Heart of Musk Deal Dispute

Analysts have doubts about Elon Musk's notion of relying on subscriptions instead of ads at Twitter Britta Pedersen POOL/AFP/File
Analysts have doubts about Elon Musk's notion of relying on subscriptions instead of ads at Twitter Britta Pedersen POOL/AFP/File

Twitter will yield to Elon Musk's demand for internal data central to a standoff over his troubled $44 billion bid to buy the platform, US media reported on Wednesday.

The news comes just days after the Tesla chief threatened to back out of his deal to purchase Twitter, accusing it of failing to provide data on fake accounts, AFP said.

The Washington Post, New York Times and website Axios cited unnamed sources familiar with the negotiations as saying Twitter's board decided to let Musk access its full "firehose" of internal data associated with the hundreds of millions of tweets posted daily at the service.

"This would end the major standoff between Musk and the board on this hot button issue which has paused the deal," Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a tweet.

Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal has said that fewer than five percent of accounts active on any given day at Twitter are bots, but that analysis cannot be replicated externally due to the need to keep user data private.

About two dozen companies already pay to access the massive trove of internal Twitter data, which includes records of tweets along with information about accounts and devices used to fire them off, according to the Post.

Twitter declined to comment on the reports but has defended its responsiveness to Musk's requests, and vowed to complete the deal on the original terms.

The mercurial Musk agreed to buy Twitter in a $44 billion deal in late April.

Twitter's top legal officer has told employees that a special shareholder vote whether to approve the buyout deal could be held in late July or early August, according to Bloomberg.

Musk began making significant noise about fake accounts in mid-May, saying on Twitter he could walk away from the transaction if his concerns were not addressed.

Some observers have seen Musk's questioning of Twitter bots as a means to end the takeover process, or to pressure Twitter into lowering the price.

The potential for Musk to take Twitter private has stoked protest from critics who warn his stewardship will embolden hate groups and disinformation campaigns.

US securities regulators have also pressed Musk for an explanation of an apparent delay in reporting his Twitter stock buys.

Twitter shares finished the official trading day slightly above $40, significantly lower than the $54.20 Musk agreed to pay when he inked the purchase deal.


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DeepSeek Available to Download Again in South Korea After Suspension 

The DeepSeek logo is seen on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)
The DeepSeek logo is seen on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)
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DeepSeek Available to Download Again in South Korea After Suspension 

The DeepSeek logo is seen on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)
The DeepSeek logo is seen on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)

Chinese artificial intelligence service DeepSeek became available again on South Korean app markets on Monday for the first time in about two months, when downloads were suspended after authorities cited breaches in data protection rules.

South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission said on Thursday that DeepSeek transferred user data and prompts without permission when the service first launched in South Korea in January.

Downloading the app was suspended in February after the questions over personal data protection surfaced, but the service was available for download again on South Korea's app market including via Apple's App Store and Google Play Store.

"We process your personal information in compliance with the Personal Information Protection Act of Korea," DeepSeek said in a revised privacy policy note applied to the app.

DeepSeek said users had the option to refuse to allow the transfer of personal information to a number of companies in China and the United States.

DeepSeek did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

South Korea's data protection agency said DeepSeek had voluntarily decided to make the app available for download, which it is free to do after at least partially reflecting its recommendations.