“Elon Musk Proposes Payment System to Combat Bots and Antisemitism on Twitter”

In a recent conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk revealed his idea of implementing a payment system as a means to combat bots and fake accounts on the social media platform, Twitter.

“We’re moving towards having a small monthly payment for the use of the system,” Musk stated during the discussion. Musk, known for his roles in companies such as Tesla and SpaceX, has long advocated for charging users for verification as a solution to the bot problem on Twitter.

Since acquiring Twitter the previous year, Musk has been actively working on incentivizing users to subscribe to a premium service called “X Premium.” This premium service offers subscribers additional features, including longer posts and increased visibility on the platform. However, it’s worth noting that Twitter remains accessible for free to users who choose not to subscribe.

Musk emphasized that the primary objective of charging for the service is to deter bots. He explained, “A bot costs a fraction of a penny to make, but if somebody even has to pay a few dollars or something, some minor amount, the effective cost to bots is very high.”

As of now, X Premium is priced at $8 per month in the United States, with varying prices in different countries. Musk mentioned that he is exploring options for lower-tier pricing to make it more accessible.

However, putting Twitter behind a paywall does come with risks. It may lead to a reduction in the platform’s user base, which could subsequently impact advertising revenue, a significant source of income for the company.

During his conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Musk also addressed concerns about antisemitism on Twitter. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has accused the platform of not taking sufficient measures to combat antisemitic content. In response, Musk stated that the company would take legal action against the ADL to protect the platform’s reputation.

Mr. Netanyahu acknowledged the challenge of balancing free speech with content moderation and urged Musk to strike the right balance. “I hope you find within the confines of the First Amendment, the ability to stop not only antisemitism but any collective hatred of people that antisemitism represents,” he said.

The discussion between Elon Musk and the Israeli Prime Minister leaves open questions about whether the payment system will be officially implemented and how it might affect Twitter’s user base and revenue in the future.