September 19th 2023.
Since Elon Musk took over X (formerly known as Twitter) in October last year, sweeping changes have been made to the platform. In a meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Elon Musk announced that users of the platform may soon have to pay a small monthly fee to access the platform. Musk's goal is to combat the widespread use of bots on the platform.
The exact cost and timeline for the implementation of this fee remain unknown, but Mr Musk said it would be a "small amount of money." X Premium, the platform's subscription service, already offers users access to paywalled posts and increased visibility, and the cost varies depending on the users' country of residence. Musk has indicated he would like to offer a lower tier pricing.
In April, Musk told the BBC that the company had been run "like a non-profit" prior to his takeover, which led to the firing of around 6,500 staff, leaving just 1,500. This cost-cutting measure helped the platform to avoid bankruptcy.
In the same meeting on Monday, Netanyahu asked Musk to strike a balance between protecting free expression and fighting hate speech on the platform. Earlier this month, Musk had attacked the Anti-Defamation League, accusing the non-profit of causing a decrease in US ad revenue at X, without providing evidence.
It is unclear whether this fee is officially underway or if it was just an off-the-cuff comment by Musk. X CEO Linda Yaccarino has made no mention of the update on the platform. Regardless, the meeting between Musk and Netanyahu was highly controversial, with many Tesla employees pushing back against it due to the prime minister's attempt to limit the Israeli Supreme Court's powers, arguing it is necessary to prevent political overreach by unelected judges.
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