Sep 19, 2023 11:42:00

Elon Musk makes a shocking statement that he will charge a fee for X (formerly Twitter)

Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter and rebranded it as X, has revealed that he is considering making X a paid service. All users will be charged a small fee to use the system, which Musk explains is ``to combat the bot army.''

Musk says Twitter, now X, is moving to monthly subscriptions

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/18/musk-says-twitter-now-x-is-moving-to-monthly-subscriptions.html

Musk and Netanyahu blame “armies of bots” for spreading antisemitism on X | Ars Technica

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/09/musk-and-netanyahu-blame-armies-of-bots-for-spreading-antisemitism-on-x/

In a livestreamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk said, ``We are moving toward charging a small monthly fee for using the X System,'' and that all users will be required to pay the fee. He made it clear that he had plans to ask for it. Furthermore, he claims, 'This is the only way to eliminate the bot problem.' The statement can be found at around 34 minutes 43 seconds in the link below.

One on one - A conversation with @elonmusk / X
https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1OwxWYaypapGQ

Musk did not provide specific costs or a timeline for the transition. In the first place, it has not been decided whether or not there will actually be a fee.

Musk also revealed the number of users on X during the conversation, claiming that the site has 550 million monthly users and generates 100 million to 200 million posts every day.

Discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu focused on the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it might be regulated. According to

the New York Times , this conversation was realized at Mr. Musk's suggestion. Musk has called AI 'potentially the greatest civilizational threat,' while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called it 'deserving of celebration.' In addition to this, the two also discussed their views on anti-Semitism and how Musk would deal with hate speech on X.

'I know your commitment to free speech , but I also know that you are against anti-Semitism. All I can say is that within the framework of the First Amendment, 'I want us to find the ability to stop, or to the extent possible, roll back all kinds of collective hatred, not just against principles, but against people.'

'I'm against attacking any group,' Musk said, but added, 'Protecting free speech sometimes means accepting people who say things you don't like.' 'But that doesn't mean we shouldn't force negativity on people,' he said, noting that he can't allow X's platform to become 'obnoxious.' Therefore, the X platform strives to remove hate speech when it is detected.

During these discussions, Prime Minister Netanyahu asked, ``Is it technically possible to limit the bot army that amplifies hate speech on The strategy of charging fees is the only way to combat vast bot armies: the more money you pay for a subscription, the more expensive the bots will be, and the better your chances of preventing them from hate speech, misinformation, and other harm. ” he is said to have said.

Mr. Mask said , ``We will add comprehensive communication and the ability to manage the entire financial industry to X,'' and he is trying to make reforms with a particular emphasis on remittance functions. X is trying to obtain a license to conduct remittance business throughout the United States, and has already received permission from eight states at the time of writing.