Since 2013, Twitter has downplayed the spread of fake accounts on its platform, holding that "false or spam" accounts make up less than 5% of its user base even as independent researchers said the number could be three times higher.
That discrepancy could now affect the outcome of Elon Musk's $44 billion cash deal after the billionaire tweeted on Friday that the takeover bid was "temporarily on hold" while he sought information about the number of phony Twitter accounts.
While this may be little more than a negotiating tactic by Musk, what is clear is that almost nothing is certain when it comes to how these accounts are defined or dispensed with, according to current employees and independent social media researchers.