How Musk’s Twitter Deal Foundered Over ‘Spam Bots’: QuickTake

The most talked-about corporate takeover of recent times -- Elon Musk’s pursuit of Twitter Inc. -- has collapsed in a dispute over the role played by automated social media accounts in driving traffic on the platform. So-called spam bots frustrate users, threaten their security and make it harder for advertisers to see how many real humans are engaging with the microblogging service. Musk pulled out of the deal after accusing the company of misleading the public about the number of spam bots hiding among Twitter’s genuine users. In response, Twitter management said it would take the billionaire to court ...