Elon Musk suggests a monthly subscription for the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to counter bots. In a discussion with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk highlighted the bot issue and mentioned possible fees to deter their proliferation. This proposal accompanies X’s ongoing push for its paid service, X Premium.
Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, hinted at the possibility of introducing a subscription model for the platform. During a recent live-streamed discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk touched upon the ongoing challenge of bots on the platform and suggested that implementing a “small monthly payment” might be a viable solution.
Musk reasoned that the minimal cost associated with creating bots can be curtailed by introducing a nominal subscription fee. He highlighted, “Given that creating a bot is incredibly cheap—essentially a fraction of a penny—it becomes prohibitively expensive for bots if they have to pay even a minor fee every time.” This method would also deter bot creators as they’d require a new payment method for each bot they intend to deploy.
While Musk didn’t specify the exact amount for this potential subscription, he emphasized it would be a “modest fee.”
During the conversation, Musk revealed that X now boasts a monthly user count of 550 million, producing between 100 to 200 million posts daily. There remains ambiguity regarding whether these statistics account for automated bots, be they functional, like news feeds, or disruptive, like spammers.
It’s important to note that these figures differ from the metrics used by Twitter before Musk’s acquisition. Previously, Twitter utilized a unique measure known as the “average monetizable daily active user” (mDAU). As of Q1 2022, Twitter reported having 229 million mDAUs.
Though Musk remained tight-lipped about the specifics or timeline of the proposed subscription model, since acquiring the platform, there has been a push for users to adopt its premium subscription, X Premium. This upgraded service, priced at $8 monthly or $84 annually, provides enhanced features like post-editing, reduced ads, superior search and conversation rankings, and extended post lengths.
Despite the push for X Premium, not many users have jumped on board. Independent studies estimate a mere 827,615 users have opted for the service.
This isn’t the first time Musk has flirted with the idea of a paywall. Reports last year indicated that Musk considered transitioning the entirety of Twitter to a subscription-based model.
The broader dialogue between Musk and Prime Minister Netanyahu delved into AI technology and regulation. However, the discussion also broached the sensitive subject of hate speech on X. Musk reiterated his stance against promoting hate and conflict. He recently found himself in hot water, though, following a confrontation with the Anti-Defamation League, which leveled accusations of antisemitism against both Musk and X.
