So, Elon Musk charging for Twitter—or should we say X—hasn’t been the resounding success everyone expected. X Premium, the rebranded “Twitter Blue,” isn’t exactly the talk of the virtual town like Musk had hoped.
Initially, the idea was golden. At least in Musk’s mind. He figured it would be the perfect solution for weeding out bots and fattening the revenue pot. Reality, though, had a different script.
Here’s the tea: X Premium isn’t the digital must-have of the year. We’re talking a mere 0.3% of X users opting in. What’s on offer? A verified blue checkmark and some neat bonus features. But so far, not many are biting.
So, for those keeping score, it seems Elon Musk charging for Twitter still has some kinks to iron out. It’s not a total wash, but clearly, the vision and the current state are a few pixels apart.
Is Elon Musk charging for Twitter: What we know so far
Elon Musk is contemplating going all-in by putting a price tag on access to the entire platform. The looming question is, will this entice more users to cough up cash, or will they bolt for free platforms?
This interesting twist came to light during a chat between Musk and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Musk was laying out his grand vision for X, a piece of his “everything app” strategy, and this is when the idea of Elon Musk charging for Twitter really picked up steam on social chatter.
Musk gets candid with his rationale:
“The single most important reason that we’re moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system is that it’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots. Because a bot costs a fraction of a penny, or a tenth of a penny, but if somebody even has to pay a few dollars or something, some minor amount, the effective cost of bots is very high, and then you also have to get a new payment method every time you have a new bot.”
There will be cheaper alternatives
There’s more to the story of Elon Musk charging for Twitter. It seems like Musk is also floating the idea of a more budget-friendly tier. Because who doesn’t love a good deal, right? Musk’s aim here isn’t just bot-eradication; he’s also talking about adding a sprinkle of identity verification by linking bank accounts to user profiles.
Rumor has it that we might see a more wallet-friendly option—think along the lines of $3 to $4 a month. This would give you either limited X Premium features or just the much-coveted blue tick mark. Oh, and let’s not forget that this could tie in perfectly with X’s newly minted ID verification system, perhaps adding a small fee for third-party verification via a partner like au10tix.
Why is this such a big deal?
Now, why is this two-pronged approach such a big deal? First off, it aims to kick bots to the curb by jacking up their operational costs. And second, it sets the stage for future in-app payments and banking services, which neatly dovetails into Musk’s overarching vision.
But let’s not pop the champagne just yet. This pay-to-play model could be a double-edged sword. Introducing a paywall may put a dent in user engagement, particularly in markets where cost is a major concern. Plus, let’s be real—most X users are more the silent, scrolling types who don’t post much but are vital for the platform’s ecosystem.
