Twitter could get its wings clipped.
A judge threatened the social media company with contempt of court charges today for failing to comply with a two-month old order to turn over the tweets of an Occupy Wall Street protester.
New York State Supreme Court Judge Matthew Sciarrino Jr. gave Twitter until Friday to deliver the tweets or pay fines in the case of Malcolm Harris, who was arrested last October during an Occupy Wall Street protest on the Brooklyn Bridge.
In June, Sciarrino sided with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. in ruling that Twitter must turn over three months’ worth of Harris’s posts.
Twitter had been seeking a stay while it appealed the decision. However, an appeals court ruled yesterday that Twitter cannot delay the criminal case during its appeal.
Sciarrino told lawyers for Twitter that while he can’t throw a company in jail, he can fine it. He asked the privately-held company to produce two quarters of earnings statements so he can decide on the amount.
Twitter is now in the position of having to choose between standing by Harris and disclosing sensitive revenue information in a public trial.
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