[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has publicly proposed a debate on fake accounts on Twitter, engaging in an online public opinion battle.
On the 6th (local time), US CNBC reported that Musk proposed a public debate on the status of fake accounts to Parag Agrawal, CEO of Twitter. He challenged Agrawal on his Twitter, demanding, "Prove in front of the public that the proportion of fake and spam accounts on Twitter is less than 5%."
He also started an online poll asking netizens to agree or disagree with Twitter's position that fake accounts are less than 5%. Before proposing the public debate, Musk pressured Twitter by posting that he would continue with the acquisition deal if Twitter disclosed the method to identify fake accounts.
Musk's debate proposal and poll are interpreted as an online public opinion battle ahead of the legal fight with Twitter scheduled for October.
Earlier, Musk agreed to acquire Twitter for $44 billion (57.5 trillion won) in April. However, on the 8th of this month, he declared the termination of the contract, citing concerns over the status of fake accounts on Twitter. In response, Twitter filed a lawsuit in Delaware court demanding the enforcement of the acquisition contract against Musk.
The main issue in the lawsuit is whether the status of fake accounts constitutes grounds for contract termination. The court will decide whether Musk must continue to fulfill the acquisition contract or if he can withdraw. The trial will take place over five days starting October 17.
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