Entrepreneur Elon Musk revealed that his social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), will soon introduce two new premium subscription options. One tier will offer all features at a lower cost but include ads, while the other, more expensive tier will be ad-free. While specific details about these plans remain undisclosed, the move comes as X recently initiated a $1 charge for new users in New Zealand and the Philippines.
New users who opt out of subscribing will have limited functionality, restricted to "read-only" actions such as reading posts, watching videos, and following accounts, according to the company's website. The availability of free options has not been confirmed yet. Musk has long advocated for charging for X's services as a means to combat bots and fake accounts on the platform. Since assuming company control last year, he has encouraged users to pay for an enhanced experience, now branded as X Premium. Some users have already opted for the $8 monthly subscription, which includes the coveted blue check verification service.
X's "Not A Bot" subscription method aims to curb spam, platform manipulation, and bot activity. In an effort to lure advertisers back, Musk has offered discounts and incentives. However, his rapid changes, which included extensive layoffs and the dismantling of content moderation teams, led to advertisers pausing their ads on the platform. Musk attributed the revenue decline to pressure from activists.
The issue of mixed ad-supported and subscription models is not unique to X, as other major tech companies have also explored this approach. YouTube, owned by Alphabet, offers both paid and free, ad-supported plans, while Netflix has ad-supported options at a lower price point. YouTube shares a portion of its subscription revenue with content creators. X, which also shares ad revenue with creators, has not disclosed whether content creators will be compensated under the ad-free subscription models.
Despite Musk's efforts to generate revenue and address concerns about content moderation, advertisers have been hesitant to return due to fears of their ads appearing alongside inappropriate content. Last week, the European Commission initiated an investigation into X's compliance with new tech rules related to illegal and harmful content, following instances of disinformation being spread on the platform after the Hamas attack on Israel.
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