Twitter is refusing to pay its Google Cloud bills, and might ditch it entirely

Twitter logo on a mobile screen
There's more change for Twitter users (Image credit: Nathan Dumlao/Unsplash)

In the latest step of its unconventional management by soon-to-be ex-CEO Elon Musk, Twitter is reportedly refusing to pay its Google Cloud renewal fee as it looks to move away from the third party platform, but things aren’t looking so clear cut.

According to Platformer, the social media giant has refused to pay its cloud hosting services subscription renewal as it comes to an end this month, as it looks to bring more hosting in-house.

Under its new leadership, Twitter has been making so-far-failed attempts at negotiating a multi-year contract that it signed with Google Cloud last year, making it difficult for Musk’s platform to leave thus presenting a conflict with critical results.

Twitter Google Cloud subscription

While some hosting is managed in-house, Twitter is currently turning to Google Cloud for things like fighting spam and child sexual abuse material, which means that failure to pay up could result in catastrophically harmful events.

Platformer also reported that Twitter previously withheld payment from Google Cloud competitor, Amazon Web Services, with whom it also shares hosting responsibilities, this time relating to advertising.

Furthermore, Engadget notes that late last year, Twitter was sued by the California Property Trust for failing to pay rent on the building it leases for its headquarters.

While the latest news in relation to Google Cloud is likely the culmination of months of Musk leadership, the platform’s new CEO Linda Yaccarino officially took over business last week, which she announced in a Tweet.

It’s unclear how Yaccarino will handle the contract’s renewal, and the platform in general, but many users globally are being united in their hope that more positive change could be on the way following months of turbulence for the platform.

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Craig Hale

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!