Elon Musk plans to make all X users pay for access to the social network

X CEO Elon Musk has suggested that all users of the social network X, formerly known as Twitter, may have to pay for access to the platform. In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the billionaire said that the payment system is the only way to resist bots, BBC reports.

«We're moving to a small monthly payment for using the system,» the SpaceX CEO said.

It is unclear whether this was just a comment or a signal of the billionaire’s future plans, which will sooner or later become a reality. Musk has long stated that paying for user profile verification on X is an effective solution to get rid of bots and fake accounts.

Despite the company’s obvious financial interest in charging users, Musk plans to make people pay for a service aimed at fighting bots. «It costs a penny to create a bot,» the businessman says. — «But if somebody even has to pay a few dollars or something like that, some small amount, the effective price for bots will be very high.»

Currently, X Premium costs $ 8 per month in the US. It should be noted that the price differsdepending on which country the X user is in.

The world’s richest man noted that he is currently considering cheaper options for users. «We are actually going to come to a lower level of pricing. We just want it to be a small amount of money,» Musk said. — «It's a long discussion, but I think it’s actually the only defense against huge armies of bots.»

However, there is a risk that turning X into a paid platform will cause a massive outflow of users, as well as a decline in advertising revenue, which currently accounts for the vast majority of the company’s income.