Elon Musk has left open the possibility of implementing paywalls (meaning access only for payment) for all users of the X platform in a recent discussion he had with the Israeli Prime Minister.
According to the BBC, the technology mogul is reported to have told Benjamin Netanyahu that the X platform (formerly Twitter) is moving towards imposing a small monthly subscription fee for using the system. He also mentioned to the Israeli Prime Minister that he believes the only way to combat the vast armies of bots is to implement a payment system.
It’s unclear whether Musk made a spontaneous comment or revealed an already decided plan that hasn’t been announced yet, according to the BBC’s report on the statement made by the 52-year-old owner of the platform.
“The most significant reason for us to move towards imposing a small monthly subscription fee for using the X system is that it’s the only way I can think of to combat the massive armies of bots,” Musk said during his discussion with Netanyahu, which was live-streamed on X, as reported by Business Insider.
As noted in the report, since acquiring Twitter last year, one of Musk’s main goals has been to provide incentives for users to obtain the subscription service, now known as X Premium. Some of these incentives included larger posts and improved visibility on the platform. X Premium currently costs $8 per month in the United States, with the price varying depending on the user’s country.
