Elon Musk, the CEO of X (formerly known as Twitter), has announced the introduction of premium subscription tiers that will allow users to avoid ads on the social media platform. In a post on X, Musk revealed that two subscription options would soon be available. One tier would offer all features at a lower cost but would still include ads, while the other, more expensive tier, would provide an ad-free experience.
Elon Musk took control of the platform in October 2022, and since then, he has been working to increase revenue by charging users and enticing advertisers back to the platform, especially after he made significant changes like letting go of most employees and disbanding content moderation teams.
However, Musk has not provided specific details about the implementation of these premium features or a timeline for their launch, leaving users speculating about the cost of the “more expensive” subscription and how it would affect existing premium Twitter Blue subscribers.
This announcement comes as Twitter began charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines a nominal fee of $1 (£0.82) to access basic services. This new subscription plan, named “Not a Bot,” requires users to pay a yearly fee and verify their phone number to engage with other members on the site. Users who opt out of the paid subscription can still create “read-only” accounts for reading posts, watching videos, and following accounts.
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Musk’s decision to introduce these changes is in part aimed at addressing the issue of bots on the platform, which has been a persistent challenge for him since taking over. Research estimates suggest that bots comprise approximately 10% of all accounts on the platform, and tech companies like Cybra, using artificial intelligence to verify accounts, have indicated that as many as 11% of accounts on the site in 2022 were bots.
While Musk claims that these changes are not solely profit-driven, they represent the latest effort to combat the bot problem and generate revenue for the platform on which he’s placed a strong emphasis since his takeover.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
