Twitter Annual Results
Metrics and non-GAAP information
The numbers of active users and other metrics presented are based on internal company data. While these numbers are based on what we believe to be
reasonable estimates for the applicable period of measurement, there are inherent challenges in measuring usage and user engagement across our large user
base around the world. For example, there are a number of false or spam accounts in existence on our platform. We have performed an internal review of a
sample of accounts and estimate that false or spam accounts represented less than 5% of our MAUS as of December 31, 2015. In making this determination, we
applied significant judgment, so our estimation of false or spam accounts may not accurately represent the actual number of such accounts, and the actual
number of false or spam accounts could be higher than we have estimated. We are continually seeking to improve our ability to estimate the total number of
spam accounts and eliminate them from the calculation of our active users, and in the past have made improvements in our spam detection capabilities that have
resulted in the suspension of a large number of accounts. Spam accounts that we have identified are not included in the active user numbers presented. We treat
multiple accounts held by a single person or organization as multiple users for purposes of calculating our active users because we permit people and
organizations to have more than one account. Additionally, some accounts used by organizations are used by many people within the organization. As such, the
calculations of our active users may not accurately reflect the actual number of people or organizations using our platform.
Our metrics are also affected by applications that automatically contact our servers for regular updates with no discernible user-initiated action involved, and this
activity can cause our system to count the users associated with such applications as active users on the day or days such contact occurs. As of December 31,
2015, less than 8.5% of users used third-party applications that may have automatically contacted our servers for regular updates without any discernible
additional user-initiated action. As such, the calculations of MAUS presented here may be affected as a result of this activity.
In addition, our data regarding user geographic location for purposes of reporting the geographic location of our MAUS is based on the IP address or phone
number associated with the account when a user initially registered the account on Twitter. The IP address or phone number may not always accurately reflect a
user's actual location at the time such user engaged with our platform.
We regularly review and may adjust our processes for calculating our internal metrics to improve their accuracy. Our measures of user growth and user
engagement may differ from estimates published by third parties or from similarly-titled metrics of our competitors due to differences in methodology. Any
discussion of our total audience based on both internal metrics and relying on data from Google Analytics, which measures logged out visitors to our properties.
This presentation includes certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined by SEC rules. As required by Regulation G, we have provided a reconciliation of those
measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures, which is available at https://investor.twitterinc.com/index.View entire presentation