Search Site

Trends banner

‘Wadeem’ sold out for $1.49bn

This is the highest Abu Dhabi real-estate release to date.

Tesla Q2 sales down 13.5%

Shares rally after the disclosure, better than some forecasts.

TomTom cuts 300 jobs

The firm said it was realigning its organization as it embraces AI.

Aldar nets $953m in sales at Fahid

Aldar said 42 percent of the buyers are under the age of 45.

Qualcomm to Alphawave for $2.4 bn

The deal makes Alphawave the latest tech company to depart London.

Musk says X could charge all users ‘small monthly payment’

The tech tycoon has made multiple changes since taking over the site for $44 billion in October last year, when it was known as Twitter. (AFP)
  • During a talk with Musk on Monday, Israeli PM raised the question of online anti-Semitism, and how X could prevent the use of bots
  • Musk replied that the company was moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system and it's the only way to combat vast armies of bots

San Francisco, United States – Online platform X could introduce a monthly fee for all users, its owner Elon Musk said Monday, citing the need to cut down on bots.

The tech tycoon has made multiple changes since taking over the site for $44 billion in October last year, when it was known as Twitter.

He has fired thousands of employees, introduced a paid premium option, cut content moderation and reinstated formerly banned accounts including that of former US president Donald Trump.

He said in July the platform had lost roughly half its advertising revenue.

Bots – accounts run by computer programs rather than humans – are common on X, where they can be used to artificially amplify political messages or racial hatred.

During a talk with Musk on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the question of online anti-Semitism, and how X could “prevent the use of bots – armies of bots – to replicate and amplify it.”

Musk replied that the company was “moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system.”

“It’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots,” he said.

“Because a bot costs a fraction of a penny — call it a tenth of a penny — but if somebody even has to pay a few dollars, 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.”

The conversation, which was broadcast on X, came as the Tesla tycoon is mired in a row with the Anti-Defamation League, a US-based Jewish organization.

Musk has accused the ADL of making unfounded accusations of anti-Semitism that have scared away advertisers and hurt his company’s revenue and has threatened to sue for billions of dollars.