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Twitter must hand over more information on its bot accounts to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a Delaware judge has ruled.
The ruling from Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware’s Court of Chancery is a win for Musk, who has been seeking the data to prove that Twitter is artificially inflating its user numbers.
McCormick rejected some of Musk’s data demands as “absurdly broad” because they consisted of trillions of data points that “no one in their right mind has ever tried to undertake such an effort.”
But she ordered Twitter to provide Musk with information on how many of its users are bots, as well as data on how those bots are being used.
Twitter has until December 4 to comply with the order.
Last month, Musk accused Twitter of inflating its user numbers by using bots, and he vowed to investigate the matter. Twitter has denied that it uses bots to inflate its user numbers.
This is not the first time Musk has taken on Twitter. In July, he clashed with the social media company after it removed a link to his Tesla blog from his Twitter profile. Musk accused Twitter of censoring him, and he vowed to “expose” the company. Twitter has denied that it censors users.
In a court filing on Tuesday, Judge Mary Walrath said she was “not unsympathetic” to Twitter’s concerns about the released data but that Musk had a “legitimate need” for the information.
The judge’s order is a victory for Musk, who has been locked in a battle with Twitter over the extent to which bots and other automated accounts are used on the platform.
Musk has accused Twitter of inflating its user numbers by using bots and has demanded that the company provide data on the accounts in question. Twitter has refused, saying that the information is confidential and would be difficult to obtain.
In her ruling, Walrath said that Twitter must provide Musk with data on the 9,000 accounts by February 15. She also said that Musk’s lawyers may request information on up to 1,000 additional accounts.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The ruling is the latest development in a long-running feud between Musk and Twitter, even before Musk put in his bid to purchase the company. In October of 2021, Musk announced that he was “deleting” his Twitter account, only to reactivate it a few hours later.
In November, Musk sparked controversy when he tweeted that he was “considering taking Tesla private at $420 per share.” The tweet sent Tesla’s stock price soaring, and prompted an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The SEC accused Musk of misleading investors and reached a settlement with him in which he agreed to step down as Tesla’s chairman and pay a $20 million fine.
It remains unclear whether Elon Musk will have to go through with his purchase of the social media platform Twitter. It is clear though that the tide seems to be turning in Musk’s direction — a huge win for conservatives everywhere.
