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X, the social media formerly known as Twitter, controlled for almost a year by tycoon Elon Musk, will soon introduce a form of monthly subscription for its 550 million users. The announcement of the new company policy focused on “a small monthly payment for using social media X” and the official estimate of tweet users came from Musk himself, engaged in a livestream with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on artificial intelligence, anti-Semitism and the South African entrepreneur’s plans for
Musk also defended himself against criticism that he and his social network spread hate speech and anti-Semitism, after threatening to sue the Anti-Defamation League and making disparaging comments about George Soros. “Obviously I am against anti-Semitism. Freedom of speech sometimes means saying something that others don’t like. We will not promote hate speech,” Musk attacked, speaking live on X with Netanyahu, expected in New York for the UN General Assembly. “I hope you can find within the confines of the First Amendment a way to combat anti-Semitism. I know you’re busy doing this. I think it is important to condemn him,” Netanyahu replied.
Musk also pressed the Israeli prime minister on his judicial reform. The billionaire said he was criticized for the meeting with Netanyahu following the reform and the demonstrations he triggered. Some of the demonstrators – Netanyahu replied – “don’t know what they are protesting for and there is a concerted effort to ensure that they don’t know”. For Netanyahu, the face-to-face meeting with Musk was an opportunity to promote technological investments in Israel, thus silencing critics who believed that the approved judicial reform would drive away investors. For Musk, the confrontation was instead an opportunity to ease the criticism of American Jews, according to whom under his leadership X has become a vehicle of anti-Semitic hatred.