| 21 September 2023
| Christie Anto
Elon Musk, the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, made a groundbreaking announcement during a live conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Musk revealed that the platform will introduce a "small monthly payment" for users as a measure to combat the proliferation of bots.
Musk's statement left many questions unanswered, including the exact cost and when this change would take effect. Al Jazeera's request for comment from X remains unanswered.
Since purchasing X for $44 billion last year, Musk, the world's wealthiest individual, has implemented several changes, such as allowing users to purchase verified checkmarks and reversing the ban on former US President Donald Trump. However, making the entire social network subscription-based represents his most radical move yet.
Bots, automated accounts, can serve beneficial purposes, like disseminating alerts or weather information. Still, they can also be exploited for harmful activities, including hate speech, trolling, and spam.
Requiring payment for X usage aims to make running bot networks financially unviable. However, social media consultant Matt Navarra expressed skepticism, questioning whether enough users would subscribe. X already struggles with its existing $8 monthly subscription plan, X Premium, which offers verified checkmarks and post editing.
Musk revealed that X boasts over 550 million monthly users, but only 94,000 subscribed to X Premium between July and August, according to a recent Mashable report.
While bots pose challenges across major social media platforms, most opt for technical solutions like machine learning and content moderation. In contrast, X's previous management relied on charging users. In 2021, Twitter's site integrity team used machine learning to identify and flag millions of malicious bots weekly. However, Musk dismissed this team following his acquisition of Twitter.
Musk's determination to combat bots has been a long-standing endeavor. He has previously declared, "We will defeat the spam bots or die trying."
This isn't the first time Musk has considered a paywall for X. Discussions about this move took place at the end of the previous year, including limiting free usage time before requiring a subscription.
It remains unclear whether revenue generated from a subscription model can offset a reported 60 percent drop in ad sales this year.
Experts also question the impact on X's future. Social media consultant Rachel Karten believes a paywall would change the platform's demographic significantly, potentially causing brands to reconsider their presence. Advertisers are a primary customer base for Twitter, and this shift could lead to uncertainties about investing resources in X.
Karten pointed out that putting X behind a paywall forces users into a binary decision: "You're either on it or not." The outcome of this bold move by Musk will be closely watched as it could reshape the social media landscape.
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