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X (formerly Twitter) could be moving behind the paywall, as hinted by Elon Musk. During a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a livestream, the former CEO of X stated that users will have to pay a monthly fee to use the social network, which will help combat the vast armies of bots. However, Musk did not disclose the cost of the plan.
Furthermore, Elon Musk did not discuss the details of any new features that will be included in the monthly plan. Musk also revealed that X has 550 million monthly users who generate 100 million to 200 million posts per day. He believes that introducing a subscription fee would make it difficult for bots to create accounts. More details about the monthly subscription fee and when the company will start charging users have yet to be revealed.
To recall, Elon Musk acquired X (formerly Twitter) last year for $44 Billion. Since the acquisition, there have been many changes to the social network. The company downsized its workforce from 7,500 employees to 1,500 employees, representing an 80% reduction. Additionally, the company introduced the Twitter Blue subscription, which offers access to the Twitter verification blue tick and several other features. The Twitter Blue plan costs Rs. 650 per month for desktop users in India, while iOS and Android users need to pay Rs. 900 for the service. Subscribing to the plan allows users to have a privileged checkmark, post longer videos, and see fewer ads.
In addition to introducing Twitter Blue, Elon Musk rebranded Twitter as X. When explaining the reason behind the rebranding, Musk stated that X Corp. acquired Twitter to ensure freedom of speech and accelerate the release of X. The name Twitter made sense when the social network had a 140-character tweet limit, but with the ability to post longer videos and tweets, Musk felt a rebranding was necessary.