Is X (formerly known as Twitter) turning into a paid site? Elon Musk has reportedly discussed the possibility of his social network, X, no longer being a free platform. This revelation came to light during his interaction with the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.
During the conversation, Musk mentioned that X was considering a “small monthly payment” to use the platform. He stated that this change was necessary to address the issue of rampant bots on the platform, saying, “It’s the only way I can think of combatting vast armies of bots.”
Musk argued that bots are inexpensive to operate, costing only a fraction of a penny. By requiring users to pay a few dollars, he believes the effective cost of running bots would increase. He also suggested that each time a bot creator wanted to add another bot, they would need a new payment method. While Musk did not specify the exact amount users might have to pay, he described it as a “small amount of money.”
Netanyahu and Musk also discussed the need to strike a balance between protecting free expression and combating hate speech on the platform. This conversation followed a controversy over antisemitic content that emerged on X a few weeks ago. They also explored ways to harness the rapid advancements in AI while mitigating its potential risks to society.
Elon Musk shared some new metrics related to X during the conversation. He revealed that the platform currently boasts over 550 million monthly active users who generate approximately 100 to 200 million posts each day. Despite sparking a debate with his statement about making the platform paid, Musk has not disclosed when this change might be implemented.
Since Musk took over the platform, X has undergone significant changes. Currently, X Premium is available for around $8 per month or $84 for an annual subscription. Premium subscribers enjoy various features, including the ability to edit posts, reduced ads, the capacity to compose longer posts, prioritized ranking in searches and conversations, and more.