- On 25th April Microsoft will stop support for Smart Campaigns with Multi-platform solution.
- No reason was given, but the decision comes after Twitter announced it would start charging for access to its API.
- Twitter Elon Musk claimed that Microsoft had “trained illegally using Twitter data” and that a lawsuit would be filed.
So here’s a weird one. Microsoft has announced that it will be dropping support for Twitter from its Smart Campaigns with Multi-platform solution.
That, while strange, isn’t the weird part given there is seemingly a valid explanation for this. No, what’s weird is that Twitter owner Elon Musk has responded to this decision by claiming that Microsoft had “trained illegally using Twitter data” before adding that it was “Lawsuit time”.
It’s not clear what exactly Musk is referring to here.
As for why Microsoft is dropping Twitter, that isn’t explained. However, the timing is coincidental given that Twitter announced it would start charging for access to its API nearly a month ago. The cost of this access starts at $42 000 but varies according to the usage.
While that starting price is small in contrast to Microsoft’s earnings, we suspect that as with most things in life, it’s the principle of the matter.
Whatever the reason in, users of Smart Campaigns with Multi-platform won’t be able to access Twitter accounts, create or manage tweets, view past tweets or schedule content from 25th April. While other social media channels will continue to work, including those owned by Meta, Twitter won’t and we have to wonder if that’s ultimately bad for Microsoft.
We say this because if marketers are using Microsoft’s product, they now need to open another application specifically for Twitter. This sounds inefficient and we have to think that users will shop around for an alternative if they are able to.
Ultimately, we’re just curious about this lawsuit Musk claims is coming. It’s a bold strategy threatening those who have used the API and no longer wish to because of the cost with a lawsuit but lets see if it pays off.
