Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, recently spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about possibly charging users for X, previously known as Twitter. “We’re moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the system,” Musk said.
Monthly Fees to Counter Bots
The reason for this shift to a paid model is simple: bots. “A bot costs a fraction of a penny – but even if it has to pay a few dollars or something, the effective cost of bots is very high,” Musk explained.
This is an attempt to make it financially difficult for automated accounts to operate on the platform, a problem that has annoyed users and puzzled experts for years.
User Reactions Are Strong
Social media is buzzing with reactions to Musk’s proposal. Bonnie, an active Twitter user, tweeted, “I am not staying on Twitter if there’s a fee.”
Another user named Bera also expressed skepticism, stating, “I don’t even pay for Spotify or Discord Nitro. What makes Elon think I’d even consider paying a Twitter fee?”
Musk is No Stranger to Changes
Since buying Twitter and renaming it to X, Musk has shaken things up quite a bit. He has offered a premium service called X Premium, which allows for longer posts and increased visibility.
This premium service costs $8 a month in the U.S., but Musk also mentioned, “We’re actually going to come up with a lower tier pricing. We just want it to be just a small amount of money.”
The Money Aspect
Musk insisted that the primary reason for charging people is to reduce bot activity, but the introduction of a paid model could have financial repercussions for X.
Right now, the main income for the company comes from ads. If users leave because of the fees, the platform could lose a significant amount of ad revenue.
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More Than Just Money and Bots
Beyond fees and bots, the conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu also ventured into social issues.
Musk told the prime minister that he was “against antisemitism and anything that promotes hate and conflict,” a statement which came after the ADL accused the platform of not doing enough to combat hate speech.
Controversy Follows Musk’s Leadership
Under Musk, the X platform has seen its share of controversy. High-profile accounts, like those of former U.S. President Donald Trump, banned after the Capitol riots in 2021, have been reinstated.
The return of such accounts has raised concerns about the types of discourse that may be allowed on the platform under its new leadership.
Questions Remain
There are several unanswered questions. What will the pricing tiers look like? How will users react if they have to start paying for a service that has been free since its inception?
Will the move indeed deter bots from the platform, and what will be the financial fallout if a significant number of users decide to leave?
The Talk Continues
Musk’s conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu has set the social media world talking. Charging for access to what has always been a free service is a big shift, and the reactions are varied.
The ongoing debate will certainly keep people watching and talking about X for some time to come.
