Elon Musk's 'slight cost' Twitter post sparks free speech Vs profit debate
By Team Newsable | First Published May 4, 2022, 9:08 AM ISTElon Musk's latest post has added to the speculations on the direction where Twitter is headed since the billionaire got a $44 billion deal to own the micro-blogging platform.
Billionaire Elon Musk has once again stirred the hornet's nest with his Twitter post in which he announced that the platform may charge a slight cost for commercial and government users. However, he clarified that Twitter will always be free for casual users.
The Twitter post triggered a wave of responses from users, some of whom were not thrilled with the idea of paying a fee. More so, Elon's latest move has added to the speculations on the direction where Twitter is headed since the billionaire got a $44 billion deal to own the micro-blogging platform.
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Mind you, Twitter already offers a subscription-based service called Twitter Blue. According to Twitter, the subscription version 'offers enhanced and complementary features to the already existing Twitter experience for those who want it'. These include an 'undo' option which allows a user to take back his or her post within 30 seconds of posting.
Indications of what may be brewing inside Elon's mind were seen when during the Met Gala 2022, the Tesla founder-CEO told reporters that he wanted a much-bigger percentage of the country to engage in a dialogue on the platform rather than catering to a niche segment.
So when Elon tweeted that the downfall of the Freemasons was ultimately due to them giving away their stonecutting services for nothing, there were bound to be reactions.
One segment of users termed the idea as 'pathetic' and one that diluted the essence of Twitter. One user said Elon Musk's free-speech absolutism crumbles when it smashes up against his profit motive.
I’ll pay for it, just get rid of the spam and fire the people in Mexico who take decisions in , they just keep telling me… everything “is because the algorithm, we can’t do nothing for you”. 🤨 pic.twitter.com/TCqPzBANq5
— Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas)
That’s it, that seals the deal. I’m no longer a Twitter user. I’ve been a user since 2008 and have never been more disgusted. I officially will be deactivating my account. I’m going to MySpace where they know how to run a platform.
— Ricky Berwick (@rickyberwick)
Charging Government might not be the best thing for you to do. A lot of government agencies are using social media to get emergency information to the public and media immediately. Some smaller communities might drop Twitter if you charged them. something to consider
— John Zuchelli (@tvzuke)Meanwhile, another segment of users saw the brighter side of things. These users believe that if Twitter is worth using, then it is worth paying for. They also asked if companies could pay for e-mail services when why not Twitter?
Never made sense to me that companies and “non profits” (lol) pay for email services but not twitter.
Unless you consider that twitter employees staged a coup and began running the company as a far left wing super PAC.
They couldn’t shadow ban paying subscribers.
It's a business
And fees insulate Twitter
From Woke advertising boycotts
Biggest fail when online content was launched
Making it Free
If it's worth using
Then it's worth paying for
Well, while rolling out the Twitter Blue service in Canada and Australia in June 2021, the platform had made it clear that 'a free Twitter is not going away, and never will.' Almost a year later, that may well not be the case.
Also Read: Met Gala 2022: Twitter goes gaga over 'mama's boy' Elon Musk
Also Read: Nearly half of Elon Musk's 90 million Twitter followers are fake, claims online tool
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