- By James Clayton
- Technology journalist for North America
Image source, Getty Images
Elon Musk has suggested that all users of X, formerly called Twitter, may have to pay to access the platform.
In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the billionaire said a payment system was the only way to counter bots.
“We are moving towards a small monthly payment for using the system,” said the boss of Tesla and SpaceX.
The BBC has contacted X for further details but has not yet received a statement from the company.
It’s unclear whether this was just an off-the-cuff comment or a sign of firmer plans that have yet to be announced.
Mr. Musk has long said his solution to getting rid of bots and fake accounts on the social media platform is to charge for verification.
Since taking over Twitter last year, it has sought to get users to pay for an upgraded service, now called X Premium.
This was done by offering more features to paid subscribers, such as longer posts and increased visibility on the platform.
However, users can currently still use X for free.
Although there is a clear financial interest for the company to charge users, Mr Musk insisted that charging people for the service was aimed at combating bots.
“A robot costs a fraction of a penny,” he said. “But even if someone has to pay a few dollars or something, a minor amount, the effective cost to the robots is very high.”
X Premium currently costs $8 (£6.50) per month in the US. The price differs depending on the country in which the subscriber is located.
The world’s richest person said they are now looking for cheaper options for users.
“We’re actually going to offer a lower price point. So we just want it to be just a small amount of money,” he said.
“It’s a longer discussion, but in my opinion, it’s actually the only defense against vast armies of robots,” Mr. Musk added.
However, the risk is that by placing X behind a paywall, it risks losing a large part of its users. This in turn could depress advertising revenue, which currently accounts for the vast majority of the company’s revenue.
Mr. Musk’s conversation with the Israeli prime minister also touched on anti-Semitism on X.
The platform has been accused by campaign group Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of not doing enough to stop anti-Semitic content.
In a statement, the organization said Mr. Musk “engaged with and elevated anti-Semites.”
Earlier this month, he said the company would sue the ADL to “clear the name of our platform.”
During his conversation with Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Musk reiterated that he was “against anti-Semitism.”
Mr Netanyahu acknowledged that balancing free speech and content moderation was a challenge, but urged Mr Musk to find the right balance.
“I hope you find within the confines of the First Amendment the ability to end not only anti-Semitism… but all collective hatred toward people that anti-Semitism represents,” he said.
“I know you are committed to this,” Mr. Netanyahu added.
