Elon Musk has announced plans to introduce a fee for users of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, now renamed X, according to a Sky News report. Sky News reported that the billionaire entrepreneur revealed that the company would implement a “small monthly payment” in an effort to combat the proliferation of fake accounts and “vast armies of bots”, in a live stream conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk, who has expressed longstanding concerns about the presence of fake accounts on the platform, did not provide specific details about the new fee, such as its price or whether it would come with additional features.
This move could potentially put an end to a popular meme on the platform, where users humorously remark, “this website is free”, when encountering particularly noteworthy posts, the report added.
X already offers a premium subscription — ₹900 per month or ₹9,400 per year on iOS and Android, and ₹650 per month and ₹6,400 per year on the website — which includes benefits such as a verification tick, the ability to write longer posts, edit existing ones, and priority placement in search results.
Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter for $44 billion, he has faced criticism for allowing disinformation, racism, misogyny, and antisemitism to thrive on the platform. He has also reinstated previously banned accounts, including those of Donald Trump and Andrew Tate.
In the live stream with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Musk emphasised his commitment to “free speech” and expressed his vision of humanity becoming a “spacefaring civilisation.” He argued that such a goal would be unattainable if “infighting” and “hatred” were allowed to persist.
Additionally, Musk disclosed that X currently boasts 550 million “monthly users” and generates between 100 million and 200 million daily posts. Despite facing competition from smaller platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon, as well as Meta’s Threads app, X has maintained its popularity.
Elon Musk’s focus has been on monetizing X’s user base, particularly due to a drop in advertiser spending resulting from concerns about his moderation policies. His long-term plan for the platform involves transforming it into an “everything app” capable of handling various functions, including video calls and payments, akin to China’s WeChat.
The conversation between Musk and Prime Minister Netanyahu occurred during the latter’s visit to California, which was met with protests. The Israeli politician has faced significant opposition within his home country over proposed changes to the judiciary system, with critics arguing that these changes could undermine the system of checks and balances.
Musk also met with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York, though specific details about this meeting are not available.