Microsoft removes Twitter from ad programme; Musk threatens suit

MICROSOFT said its social media planning and scheduling tools for advertisers will no longer support Twitter, after the Elon Musk-owned social network started charging for access to its programming interface.

Musk responded to the announcement by accusing Microsoft of using Twitter data “illegally” and threatening a lawsuit. The billionaire, who bought Twitter last year, is changing the company’s policy to charge businesses for access to its stream of data.

Microsoft’s Smart Campaigns service helps advertisers manage social media campaigns on services including Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. As of Apr 25, users of the product won’t be able to do things like create tweets and drafts, or see past tweets and engagement, the company said on Wednesday (Apr 19).

The software maker is the biggest investor in OpenAI, the AI research lab Musk co-founded before falling out with the team and leaving in 2018. Musk is now establishing his own rival AI effort.

Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. BLOOMBERG