UPDATE 1-Musk targets ad tech firms in Twitter suit over takeover deal

(Adds tweet from Musk)

By Sheila Dang

Aug 18 (Reuters) – Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is trying to walk absent from his deal to purchase Twitter Inc , is trying to get documents from promotion technology corporations as aspect of his quest to acquire more data on bot and spam accounts on Twitter, according to filings in a Delaware court docket on Thursday.

Twitter has sued the Tesla chief government, who has accused Twitter of hiding information and facts about how it calculates the percentage of bots on the support, for trying to stroll away from the $44 billion arrangement. A demo is scheduled for Oct. 17.

Musk’s lawyers have subpoenaed both of those Integral Advert Science (IAS) and DoubleVerify for any paperwork or communications on their involvement in examining accounts or participation in any audit of Twitter’s person foundation.

IAS and DoubleVerify, which are equally dependent in New York, use technological know-how to independently verify that electronic adverts are viewed by authentic people. Advertisers use the companies to assure the adverts they shell out for are noticed by prospective buyers and not automatic bots.

Twitter, IAS and DoubleVerify did not promptly respond to requests for remark.

In reaction to a tweet by a user who questioned how Twitter audits its support and also linked to a Reuters story on Musk targeting the ad corporations, Musk tweeted: “These are the thoughts that Twitter is carrying out almost everything probable to steer clear of answering …”

In a countersuit earlier this month, Musk claimed that Twitter’s monetizable daily lively people are 65 million decrease than what the company has touted. Twitter has said it stands by its disclosures.

The metric actions buyers who log on to Twitter by means of the site or applications that are ready to serve adverts or employed paid merchandise like subscriptions, in accordance to Twitter filings.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas Modifying by Leslie Adler and Deepa Babington)