The assertion by Twitter that Meta Platforms unlawfully acquired trade secrets to develop its new microblogging site has ignited a legal confrontation between the two social media giants. In a letter sent that Twitter’s lawyer wrote claimed that Meta had utilized its trade secrets to create its social media platform called Threads and demanded that Meta cease using the information.
According to Twitter’s allegations, Meta had recruited numerous former Twitter employees, many of whom had improperly retained company devices and documents, and deliberately assigned them to work on Threads. It remains uncertain whether Twitter will proceed with a lawsuit. As per the reports, Meta spokesperson Andy stated in a Threads post on Thursday that none of the site’s engineering team members were former Twitter employees.
Experts in law explain that while various companies have accused competitors that hired their former employees and developed similar products of trade secret theft, these cases are notoriously difficult to prove. To succeed, a company must demonstrate that its competitor acquired economically valuable information and that the company had taken reasonable steps to keep it confidential. Polk Wagner, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, stated that determining what qualifies as “reasonable efforts” can be complex. He added, “The courts are pretty clear that you can’t just wave your hands and say something is a trade secret. On the other hand, you don’t have to lock everything down so much that nobody can use the information.”
Meta introduced Threads on Wednesday, potentially posing a significant challenge to Twitter. Threads bears some resemblance to Twitter, as do several other social media platforms that have emerged in recent months. One factor that courts consider is whether a company clearly communicated to employees that specific information was considered a trade secret.
