Twitter, under the ownership of billionaire Elon Musk, has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The company is currently facing a period of turmoil as it grapples with various issues that could potentially lead to a total meltdown. In the midst of this chaos, a recent report from Platformer (Paywall) sheds light on Twitter’s payment dispute with Google Cloud, indicating further trouble on the horizon.
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Twitter’s Payment Dispute with Google Cloud
Twitter and Google had signed a multi-year contract back in 2018, well before Musk took over. The agreement stipulated that Twitter would spend $1 billion over five years, with over $300 million allocated for 2023. However, tensions have been rising between the two companies over payment negotiations. Twitter has been requesting Google to reevaluate and improve the terms of their existing contract.
Implications of Delayed Payment
Unfortunately for Twitter, the situation has escalated to the point where the company is now behind on its Google Cloud payments. If the outstanding invoices are not cleared by June 30, Twitter risks losing access to crucial Google Cloud services. This includes Smyte, an anti-harassment company acquired by Twitter in 2018, which currently operates on Google Cloud. If the payment issue persists, Smyte will go offline on the aforementioned date. Furthermore, Twitter’s services related to anti-spam measures, the removal of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and account protection are also hosted by Google. These services too may face shutdown unless Twitter swiftly transitions them to its own servers.
Twitter’s Struggles with Clearing Invoices
The payment dispute with Google is not an isolated incident for Twitter. Earlier this year, the company received a warning from Amazon, threatening to halt payments for advertising due to Twitter’s outstanding Amazon Web Services (AWS) bill. Furthermore, Twitter has been dealing with a series of legal notices over unpaid rental and vendor bills, further exacerbating its financial troubles.
Fidelity’s Report on Twitter’s Decreased Value
Adding to Twitter’s woes, a recent report from Fidelity revealed that the company’s value has plummeted to around $15 billion. This marks a significant decrease of approximately one-third of the price Elon Musk paid to acquire the company just last year. The financial downturn further underscores the challenges Twitter is currently facing.
Turmoil Since Elon Musk’s Acquisition
Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, the company has experienced a series of setbacks and controversies. Lawsuits from former employees, advertisers leaving the platform, a security breach that exposed Twitter Circle tweets to the public, and multiple outages have contributed to the rocky ride for Musk’s latest experiment.
Twitter’s ongoing payment dispute with Google Cloud, coupled with the accumulation of unpaid bills and a notable decrease in value, paints a challenging picture for the social media giant. The turmoil that has unfolded since Elon Musk’s acquisition further adds to the complexities faced by the company. As Twitter navigates these issues, the future remains uncertain, and the implications for its services and reputation are yet to be fully realized.
