Elon Musk suggests social media platform X may go behind paywall

Elon Musk has prompt that every one customers of X, previously referred to as Twitter, might need to pay for entry to the platform.

In a dialog with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the billionaire mentioned a cost system was the one technique to counter bots.

“We’re transferring to having a small month-to-month cost to be used of the system,” the Tesla and SpaceX boss mentioned.

It’s unclear whether or not this was simply a casual remark, or a sign of firmer plans which have but to be introduced.

Mr Musk has lengthy mentioned that his resolution for eliminating bots and pretend accounts on the social media platform is charging for verification.

Since taking on Twitter final 12 months he has seemed to incentivise customers to pay for an enhanced service, which is now referred to as X Premium.

This has been carried out by giving paid subscribers extra options, like longer posts and elevated visibility on the platform.

Nonetheless, customers can presently nonetheless use X without spending a dime.

Though there’s a clear monetary curiosity for the corporate to cost customers, Mr Musk insisted that getting folks to pay for the service is aimed toward tackling bots.

“A bot prices a fraction of a penny” to make he mentioned. “But when someone even has to pay a couple of {dollars} or one thing, some minor quantity, the efficient price to bots could be very excessive”.

X Premium presently prices $8 (£6.50) a month within the US. The value differs relying on which nation a subscriber is in.

The world’s richest individual mentioned that he was now taking a look at cheaper choices for customers.

“We’re truly going to provide you with a decrease tier pricing. So we simply need it to be only a small sum of money,” he mentioned.

“This can be a longer dialogue, however for my part, that is truly the one defence in opposition to huge armies of bots,” Mr Musk added.

Nonetheless, a threat is that by placing X behind a paywall it might lose a big chunk of its customers. That in flip, may drive down promoting income, which presently accounts for the overwhelming majority of the corporate’s earnings.

Mr Musk’s dialog with the Israeli prime minister additionally touched on antisemitism on X.

The platform has been accused by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) marketing campaign group of not doing sufficient to cease antisemitic content material.

In a press release, the organisation mentioned that Mr Musk was “partaking with and elevating” antisemites.

Earlier this month, he mentioned that the corporate would sue the ADL to “clear our platform’s title”.

Within the dialog with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Musk reiterated that he was “in opposition to antisemitism”.

Mr Netanyahu accepted the steadiness between free speech and content material moderation was a problem however urged Mr Musk to get the steadiness proper.

“I hope you discover throughout the confines of the First Modification, the flexibility to cease not solely antisemitism… however any collective hatred of folks that antisemitism represents,” he mentioned.

“I do know you’re dedicated to that”, Mr Netanyahu added.