Key Takeaways:
- Dorsey previously described Elon Musk as the ‘singular solution’ he trusts to operate Twitter.
- The five-day trial between Twitter and Musk is scheduled to kick off Oct. 17.
- Twitter misled U.S. regulators on spam, whistleblower says.
LAGOS (CoinChapter.com) — The ongoing legal scuffle between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Twitter regarding his decision to end the $44 billion acquisition agreement has taken another twist as Musk subpoenaed former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in an attempt to make him testify against the company.
In detail, due to the subpoena, Dorsey will be questioned about the impact of bots on Twitter’s business and operations. In addition, Musk, with the summon, is also asking Dorsey to share documents on Twitter’s spam accounts.
As part of the subpoena, Musk’s legal team is also seeking documents and communications related to Twitter’s use of monetizable daily active users (mDAU) “as a ‘Key Metric.’ Musk criticized Twitter’s use of the metric, demanding full information on spam accounts before the acquisition could move forward.
He claims that his evaluations show only a small portion of the users Twitter considers more to generate significant revenue for the company by viewing and engaging with advertisements. Tesla’s CEO also alleged that the measure isn’t as good an indicator of future performance as Twitter’s public filings imply.
Musk and Dorsey, who have been friends with a shared interest in blockchain and cryptocurrency, might clash due to the current development. Recall that Dorsey stepped down as Twitter CEO last November, with Parag Agrawal assuming the position of Twitter CEO. Moreover, Dorsey has always displayed his support for Musk in the past. He previously tweeted that he believes the Tesla CEO is the “singular solution” he trusts to operate the company he co-founded.
Elon Musk Vs. Twitter Legal Battle Heating Up
Meanwhile, Jack Dorsey isn’t the only one Elon Musk’s legal team subpoenaed. The Tesla CEO’s attorneys have been summoning several other former employees of social media platforms.
Musk’s legal team subpoenaed Kayvon Beykpour (Twitter’s former head of consumer product) and Bruce Falck (former revenue and product lead). It is worth noting that both individuals were ousted in May by Agrawal during the buyout frenzy.
Additionally, others subpoenaed by Musk’s legal team include several prominent investment firms and venture capitalists. Moreover, some are part of the so-called “PayPal mafia,” a group of influential individuals in the tech industry.
Meanwhile, the court filings indicate that Dorsey accepted the subpoena service. As a result, the five-day trial between Twitter and Musk will begin on October 17. Delaware Chancery Court’s chief judge, Kathaleen McCormick, will preside over the issue.
Twitter Misled Regulators On Hackers, Spam —Whistleblower
Furthermore, in a parallel development, a former executive at Twitter has given more life to the Elon Musk case. Peiter Zatko, Twitter’s former security chief, has alleged that the company misled federal regulators on its defenses against hackers and spam accounts.
In a whistleblower complaint, Zatko announced that Twitter has major security problems that could threaten its users’ personal information, the company shareholders, national security, and democracy.
The whistleblower further claimed that some of Twitter’s senior executives are trying to cover up the company’s serious vulnerabilities. He added that one or more current employees in the company might be working for a foreign intelligence service.
Regarding Elon Musk, Zatko said Twitter does not have the resources to understand the number of bots on its platform fully. He also warned that the company could easily be accessible to foreign spying, hacking, and disinformation campaigns.
In his usual playful manner, Elon Musk has taken to his Twitter account to troll the social media company.
