Canadians could be charged a monthly fee to use X, formerly Twitter
Canadians might have to pay to post on X, formerly known as Twitter, even if they’re not verified.
X owner Elon Musk slipped the possible update into a live-streamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
“We are moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system,” he said. “It’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots.”
The topic came up as the Tesla CEO and prime minister discussed ways to prevent fake accounts from spreading antisemitism and hate speech on the social media platform.
LIVE: Speaking with @elonmusk about how we can harness the opportunities and mitigate the risks of AI for the good of civilization. https://t.co/XiAQwOXzcP
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 18, 2023
Musk said a paywall would be the “only defence” because subscriptions would make it harder for bots to make multiple accounts using multiple credit cards.
“A bot costs a fraction of a penny… but if someone has to pay a few dollars or a minor amount, the effective cost of bots is very high,” he said.
He didn’t provide any specific price points but did say that X will come out with “lower-tier pricing” than its premium subscription.
Earlier this year, X officially implemented an $8 monthly fee for users who want to be verified (have that covetable little blue checkmark next to their name and the ability to edit posts).
The internet reacted hilariously to the social media site removing non-paying users’ blue checkmarks.
The premium subscriptions initially backfired when it first went live.
People bought verification to create parody accounts of celebrities, brands, and even politicians to prove the point that the original purpose of the blue check mark was to combat disinformation.
Musk confirmed his takeover of Twitter last October after months of back-and-forth with the social media company.
In an alarming outcome, the social media platform saw the use of racial slurs spike in the immediate hours following Musk’s acquisition.
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