Musk: X to Introduce Paid Subscription to Deter Bots

Elon Musk is reportedly aiming to combat the proliferation of bots on X, formerly known as Twitter, by introducing a small monthly payment for the use of the X system.

The CEO of X, SpaceX and Tesla revealed this and other plans for the platform Monday (Sept. 18) during a livestreamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, CNBC reported Monday.

Musk acknowledged the significant issue of bots on Twitter, referring to them as “vast armies of bots,” according to the report.

To tackle this problem, he proposed implementing a payment system for users of the X system. The goal is to deter the use of bots by making it more cumbersome and unaffordable to deploy them on the platform. Musk did not disclose the exact cost or features of the new plan, saying only that the platform is “moving to have a small monthly payment for use of the X system.” 

The CEO also shared some metrics for X, revealing that the platform currently boasts 550 million monthly users who generate 100 million to 200 million posts per day, the report said. He did not provide a breakdown of authentic users versus bots within this user base. In May 2022, before Musk’s takeover of the platform, Twitter reported an “average monetizable daily active usage” of 229 million.

While the conversation with Netanyahu primarily focused on the theoretical risks of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Musk took the opportunity to address concerns about hate speech on X, per the report. Musk disputed critics’ perception that his social network tolerates hate speech.

“I’m sort of against attacking any group, you know. Doesn’t matter who it is,” Musk said, per the report.

Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter has undergone significant changes, according to the report. He implemented staff cuts, eliminated the verification system and restored the account of former President Donald Trump, who had been banned by the previous ownership. 

Musk has previously stated that one of his priorities it to rid the social media platform of inauthentic accounts and to encourage more users to pay the $8 monthly fee that is now charged for a verified account. He also aims to create a super app that includes payments, job searches and more.