Elon Musk puts Twitter deal 'temporarily on hold'

Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk (pictured December 2020) (AFP)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted Friday morning that he has put his $44 billion deal to acquire Twitter "temporarily on hold." The reason, he indicated, is that he's seeking more "details supporting calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of users."

Twitter deal temporarily on hold pending details supporting calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of usershttps://www.reuters.com/technology/twitter-estimates-spam-fake-accounts-represent-less-than-5-users-filing-2022-05-02/\u00a0\u2026
— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk) 1652435078

Musk provided no other details.

However, the announcement from his official account likely will trigger a free-for-all in the tech and financial worlds. Advertisers already have been skittish about continuing to spend on the platform ever since Musk indicated that one of the goals of his purchase is to cleanse Twitter of fake "bot" accounts.

Extended Pennsylvania recount could help Democrats win in November: analysis

Donald Trump's ongoing "big lie" of election fraud could harm the trust of his supporters in election and potentially depress the GOP's general election support in a battleground Senate race.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, is narrowly leading David McCormick by about 2,500 votes.

CONTINUE READING Show less

U.S. charges one American, four Chinese officials with spying

A U.S. citizen and four Chinese intelligence officers have been charged with spying on Chinese dissidents, human rights leaders and pro-democracy activists residing in the United States, the Department of Justice said on Wednesday.

The indictment accuses Wang Shujun, of Queens, New York, of using his status within Chinese diaspora and dissident communities to collect information about activists on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security (MSS).

CONTINUE READING Show less

Trump thinks perception matters more than reality — because he still hasn't learned his lesson: analysis

Former President Donald Trump appears to believe in the power of positive reality more than empirically verifiable reality, according to a new CNN analysis.

CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza noted Trump's advice that Dr. Mehmet Oz "should declare victory" in the race for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.

CONTINUE READING Show less

Elon Musk puts Twitter deal 'temporarily on hold'

Stories Chosen For You

Should Roe v. Wade be overturned?

Extended Pennsylvania recount could help Democrats win in November: analysis

U.S. charges one American, four Chinese officials with spying

Trump thinks perception matters more than reality — because he still hasn't learned his lesson: analysis

Exclusive: Senate Republicans bristle after being asked about white supremacy in wake of Buffalo shooting

What is the end-point for Republican terrorism?

Exclusive: How Trump's 'Big Lie' and 'Great Replacement' conspiracy theories are merging