X, the social platform once known as Twitter, appears to be testing a pay-per-view model. This notion emerged during a recent meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister. Benjamin Netanyahu was in attendance, and the chief executive hinted that access might be tied to a small monthly fee.
Currently, the service generates revenue chiefly from premium subscriptions. In Spain, a bundled package is priced at 11 euros and covers benefits such as enhanced account verification, longer direct messaging, and an option to hide liked posts. If adopted, the plan would mark a significant shift away from the long-standing free-access approach and would reflect a broader push among social platforms to monetize usage more directly. This development aligns with ongoing experiments in how social networks can sustain themselves amid shifting advertising markets and tighter regulatory scrutiny. The information reflects public disclosures from platform leadership available today.
The founder has earned a reputation for making spur-of-the-moment remarks that may not always come to pass. At present, there are no additional public statements about the paywall concept, and media inquiries have not received a formal response.
Fight bots
Proponents argue that a modest paywall could help reduce automated accounts and a surge of bots. When the company was acquired in November 2022, a pledge was made to curb fake accounts. Since then, bot-related challenges have remained a persistent headline for the platform.
In April, leadership floated the idea of prioritizing messages from paying users as a potential tactic to curb bot activity. Yet the problem persisted, and other measures, such as offering a blue verification badge for purchase, reportedly led to more phishing attempts and unsettled some advertisers. The balance among security, user trust, and revenue remains unsettled and delicate.
Antisemitism controversy
The executive met Netanyahu in California on Monday. The discussion, broadcast live, included pressure to reduce antisemitic content on the platform. The leader stressed concerns about hate speech, while the executive defended free expression, noting that it can include voices with whom one disagrees. In these debates, the challenge lies in drawing a line between protecting free speech and policing hate.
The executive did not provide explicit commentary about how policy changes might have influenced the spread of antisemitic material. Recent studies have pointed to a rise in hateful messages since the acquisition. Memorial institutions and watchdog groups have criticized the platform for not removing provocative content targeting Jews and other minority groups. Critics argue that certain policy choices may have contributed to a more permissive environment for harmful rhetoric. Others emphasize the need to counter hate with responsible moderation and clear community standards. The broader context includes ongoing debates about balancing expression with safety across digital platforms. Researchers, policymakers, and civil society continue to monitor how policy shifts affect the visibility and reach of harmful content on social networks. This topic remains highly debated in Canada and the United States. Attribution: multiple studies and public statements from 2024 and 2025 from academic and civil society observers.