Elon Musk Plans to Introduce Subscription Model for Social Network X
During an online meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Elon Musk shared his plans for the development of the social network X (formerly known as Twitter). The head of the platform stated that, in the future, the platform will transition to a subscription-based monetization model to curb the activity of a vast army of bots. However, Musk did not disclose details of this new approach, including subscription costs, or how it will affect the platform’s functionality.
According to Musk, the X social network currently boasts 550 million active monthly users, generating 100 to 200 million posts per day. However, he did not specify how many of these users are real, and how many are bots, nor did he provide a comparison with Twitter’s previous metrics before his acquisition.
The main focus of the conversation was on discussing the risks posed by artificial intelligence and the prospects of its government regulation. Nevertheless, the dialogue did not sidestep the current issues related to content moderation on the X platform.
Musk vehemently denied accusations that his social network serves as a platform for spreading hate speech and assured that the company is making every effort to combat such manifestations.
After purchasing Twitter for $44 billion at the end of October last year, Musk implemented several changes, carried out mass layoffs, and reinstated previously blocked accounts, which garnered criticism from cybersecurity experts. Changes were also made to the account verification system to combat bots: now, users who subscribe can see a blue badge next to their names, and the messages they post receive priority in other users’ feeds.
The transition to a subscription-based model is a step that, according to Elon Musk, will help combat the issue of bots on the X platform and ensure better quality interactions between users. However, this strategy raises concerns about a potential reduction in audience engagement and infringement on freedom of speech.
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