What’s happening between Twitter and Microsoft? Elon Musk wrote a letter to the CEO of Microsoft, accusing them of violating the company’s data.

After purchasing Twitter, Elon Musk had switched the freely offered Application Programming Interface (API) support to a paid system. APIs, used by various firms from Microsoft to Apple, are back on the agenda. Elon Musk accused Microsoft of misusing Twitter’s data.

A Letter from Musk’s Lawyer to Microsoft Using Twitter’s Data

Elon Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, made a call against Microsoft, which was using Twitter data a while ago. In a letter sent to company executive Satya Nadella, he wrote that the free use of Twitter’s APIs constituted a “crime”, claiming that they had violated the developer agreement.

According to the letter, Microsoft uses Twitter’s APIs in various products, including Xbox One Social, Bing Pages, Azure, and Global Ads. Musk’s lawyer claims that Microsoft uses Twitter data to generate “tens of billions of dollars” in revenue.

It’s worth noting that this debate is not new. Initially, in April, Musk stated that Microsoft wanted free access to the APIs. Spiro, on the other hand, pointed out that they would accommodate Microsoft regarding the payment, indicating that they applied a significant discount. Microsoft rejected the offer and removed Twitter integration from its applications.

However, according to the letter, Microsoft continues to access the APIs. As a result, it violates Twitter’s developer agreement. Spiro claimed that Microsoft misused the agreement and pulled more than 26 billion tweets from Twitter in 2022.

Musk’s lawyer also alleged that Microsoft provided tweets to third-party organizations, including government agencies. He even reported that tweets were used in the training of ChatGPT.

On the other hand, a Microsoft spokesperson said they would review Twitter’s questions. However, they do not intend to make a payment.