Elon Musk said online platform X, formerly known as Twitter, could introduce a monthly fee for all users, citing the need to cut down on bots.
During a talk with Musk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the question of online anti-Semitism and how X could “prevent the use of bots – armies of bots – to replicate and amplify it”.
Bots – accounts run by computer programs rather than humans – are common on X, where they can be used to artificially amplify political messages or racial hatred.
Musk replied that the company was “moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system”. “It’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots,” he said.
“Because a bot costs a fraction of a penny – call it a tenth of a penny – but if somebody even has to pay a few dollars, some minor amount, the effective cost of bots is very high. And then you also have to get a new payment method every time you have a new bot.”
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Musk has long said that his solution for getting rid of bots and fake accounts on the social media platform is charging for verification. Since taking over Twitter last year he has looked to incentivise users to pay for an enhanced service, which is now called X Premium.
This has been done by giving paid subscribers more features, like longer posts and increased visibility on the platform. However, users can currently still use X for free.
Currently, X Premium costs $8 a month in the US but charges depend on which country the user is in. Musk said that he was now looking at cheaper options for users.
“We’re actually going to come up with a lower tier pricing. So we just want it to be just a small amount of money,” he said. “This is a longer discussion, but in my view, this is actually the only defence against vast armies of bots,” Musk added.
The tech tycoon has made multiple changes since taking over the site for $44bn in October last year. He has fired thousands of employees, introduced a paid premium option, cut content moderation and reinstated formerly banned accounts, including former United States President Donald Trump.
