Elon Musk has announced something new for his social media platform X, former Twitter: will soon become a paid service, for everyone. Although Musk had already hinted that this could be the direction for X, the news surprised many commentators. Who are not sure that the paid business model is sustainable for a social network that lives above all on advertising.
X (Twitter) will become a paid service for everyone
During a live streaming conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuMusk said that X is preparing to become a paid platform for all users. According to Musk, this decision comes to combat the “vast armies of bots” on the platform.
Musk explains: “Because a bot costs a fraction of a cent – let’s call it a tenth of a cent – but even if (a bot maker) has to pay a few dollars, the actual cost of the bots is very high.” The idea is that a subscription would have to be paid for each bot, with significant costs for those who organize them. This, however, would not really prevent the use of bots on the platform, but rather raise the cost of them.
Musk did not specify how much the monthly subscription amount will be for X users. Nor whether it will be different from the current X Premium subscription, previously called Twitter Blue. Musk did not provide details on the exact date when the new subscription plans would come into effect.
At the moment, X has approximately 550 million monthly users who publish up to 200 million posts per day. Conversely, analysts estimate that users who pay for X Premium are less than one million.
X’s transition to a subscription model represents a significant shift in the world of social media. While some social platforms offer premium services for a fee, lhe conversion of an entire platform into a paid service represents a potentially epochal change. Especially if others follow X’s example.