Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly known as Twitter), mentioned that the platform is considering charging all users to access it. Musk believes that implementing a fee could help deter automated accounts, known as bots, which have become a problem. During a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, Musk suggested that X might start charging its user base. Currently, Twitter only charges for its subscription service called X Premium, which provides additional benefits like a verified account checkmark and costs $11 per month in the US for iPhones and £11 in the UK.

Musk stated that bots can be set up at a low cost, and by increasing the price of an account to a few dollars, it could discourage bot operators. He also mentioned that requiring a new payment method for each new bot creation could further deter bot creators. However, Musk did not provide confirmation that X will definitely implement a charging policy.

Musk also shared that X has 550 million monthly users who generate up to 200 million posts per day. Previously, the platform measured its user base using a different metric called monetizable daily active users, which was at 238 million before Musk acquired the business in October 2022.

The potential introduction of a paywall comes as X faces a decline in advertising revenue, its main source of income. Musk attributed this decline to an advertiser boycott and concerns over his leadership and the platform’s handling of inappropriate or hateful content, which led to a 60% decrease in ad revenue.

During the conversation with Netanyahu, the focus shifted to discussions about free speech and antisemitism on X. Netanyahu expressed hope that Musk would find ways, within the boundaries of the first amendment, to address antisemitism and other forms of hatred on the platform. Musk emphasized that he is supportive of free speech but against any kind of antisemitism.

Source: www.theguardian.com