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Image by Iván Jesus Rojas from Pixabay

Elon Musk has suggested that he may transition X, formerly known as Twitter, into a subscription-based social network. During a discussion on artificial intelligence with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk mentioned the possibility of charging all X/Twitter users a small monthly fee to combat the issue of bots. Although Musk did not specify the timing or cost of this potential subscription, he cited X's 550 million monthly active users, who generate 100 million to 200 million daily posts.

This proposal aligns with Musk's previous consideration of putting Twitter behind a paywall due to a 50% drop in advertising revenue and a significant debt load. X currently offers a subscription program, X Blue, starting at $8 per month, which includes benefits like verified check-mark status, extended post editing windows, reduced ads, and more. Subscribers may also receive a share of advertising revenue.

Elon Musk took control of X/Twitter in October 2022 after a $44 billion deal and mass layoffs. Despite appointing Linda Yaccarino as CEO, Musk remains heavily involved in the company's direction and has now hinted at a broader shift toward a subscription-based model for the social media platform