Elon Musk Wants To Turn X Into A Payment Network: A New Attack On Freedom Of Expression?


Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of companies such as Tesla, SpaceX and According to him, this measure is the only way to combat the "huge armies of bots" that flood the platform with false, political or hate messages. But is this really the reason Musk wants to charge for using X? Or is this a new attempt to control information and public opinion, taking advantage of the popularity and reach of the social network? What consequences will this decision have for users, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized? The answer is simple: A great business.

There is no doubt that Musk is an astute and ambitious businessman, that he has known how to take advantage of the opportunities that the world of technology has offered him. His companies are leaders in sectors such as automotive, aerospace and solar energy. His personal fortune is estimated at more than $200 billion, making him one of the richest people on the planet. But he is also a controversial and controversial man, who has not been shy about expressing his opinions on topics as diverse as artificial intelligence, climate change, cryptocurrencies or the pandemic. His statements have often generated criticism, ridicule and even lawsuits. He has also been accused of exploiting his workers, evading taxes, manipulating the market or violating safety regulations.

With the purchase of X, Musk took over one of the most influential and used social networks in the world, with more than 500 million active users per month. X has become a source of information, entertainment and debate for millions of people, who share their opinions, news, memes or videos in 140 characters. It has also been a key tool for social movements, activists, journalists or politicians, who have used the platform to denounce injustices, spread their ideas or mobilize their followers.

However, since Musk took the reins of X, he has made several changes that have affected the operation and content of the social network, for example:

❌ He laid off thousands of employees, reducing the human team in charge of managing and moderating the platform.

❌ He introduced a payment option called "blue ticket", which allows users to access exclusive features such as editing messages, scheduling posts or viewing statistics.

❌ Eliminated or decreased content moderation, allowing any user to publish whatever they want without restrictions or sanctions. This has caused an increase in offensive, false or illegal messages on the social network.

❌ Restored accounts previously banned for violating X's rules, including that of former US President Donald Trump, who was banned from the platform in January 2021 for inciting violence following the assault on the Capitol.

These changes have had a negative impact on X's advertising revenue, which has dropped by half since July. For this reason, Musk has now raised the possibility of charging all users a monthly fee to use the social network. According to him, this would serve to combat bots, which are fake accounts created by computer programs to manipulate or amplify certain messages.

But is this really the solution to the bot problem? Or is this simply an excuse to extract more money from users and increase their power over the platform? Bots are a complex phenomenon and difficult to combat. It is estimated that there are between 10 and 15% of fake accounts on X, which can have various purposes: from spamming, spreading propaganda, generating traffic, influencing trends, to attacking or harassing other users.

Bots can be created by individuals, organizations, companies or governments, with different motivations and interests. Some bots are harmless or even beneficial, such as those that offer useful information, services, or entertainment. Other bots are malicious or harmful, such as those that spread misinformation, hate, or violence. The existence of bots poses several challenges for the social network and for users. On the one hand, it makes verification and quality of the information circulating on the platform difficult, which can generate confusion, distrust or polarization. On the other hand, it alters the representativeness and authenticity of the opinions and interactions that occur on the social network, which can affect the formation of public opinion and democratic participation. An attack on freedom?

However, charging users a monthly fee does not seem to be an effective or fair measure to solve the bot problem. For several reasons, these measures do not guarantee that all bots are eliminated since their creators may find other ways to avoid payment or assume the cost if it compensates them for the benefit they obtain. Additionally, there may be legitimate or authorized bots that pay to use the platform. But the biggest dilemma is that it penalizes real users, many users will not be able or will not want to pay to use who will lose a source of information, communication and expression.


TOOLS, PLATFORMS & APPLICATIONS

💲 QuantFury (Invite Code: JRRU2593) - Trading - Join using my invite code: JRRU2593 and we will both receive a free share like AAPL or UBER, or crypto like BTC or ETH (up to $250). Trade and invest with no commissions or borrowing fees at real-time spot prices from the NYSE, Nasdaq, CME, Bats, Binance and Coinbase exchanges. With a good marketing management you have the possibility of obtaining passive profits without operating in the market.

💲 StormGain - Trading - They can start without investment, capital is acquired for free with the Bitcoin Cloud Miner

💲 BingX - Trading - Called "The People's Exchange", it places a strong emphasis on social trading and offers its clients extensive features: new user rewards, demo account, high leverage, spot trading, standard and perpetual futures, grid trading, copy feed , etc.

💲 BulbPublish0x - Earn daily Crypto, NTFs or Money for reading or writing articles and interacting with publications.

💲 AddmeFast - Earn daily Crypto. Promote and increase the sources of traffic, visibility, reach and reputation of your social networks.

💲 Bitrefill - Living with crypto, a philosophy of financial freedom. Travel, play, eat and live with BTC.

🎁 PostTech (Invite Code:  pt-svbssa00x8, pt-g30tfaixj7, pt-rinh8bifkq) - Sell your posts, buy profiles, earn $ETH.

🎁 Games,  Horoscope, Dating, Sweepstakes, Health, Video, DownloadOthersSpecial - mVAS (+18).

🎁 Job Offer Search - Search engine designed to facilitate the user's job search process on the Internet. Job offers available in more than 90 countries. You can consult this database and apply for the job(s) of interest to you, saving yourself the trouble of visiting each site individually.


Always Remember:"Trading Is The Hardest Way To Make Easy Money" - Anonymous.

💖Contribute To The Author💖

How do you rate this article?

179


CryptoEntrepreneurs
CryptoEntrepreneurs Verified Member

Trader, entrepreneur, freelancer, enthusiast and promoter of globalization, adoption and understanding of cryptocurrencies and new information and communication technologies (ICTs)


A bit of everything ...
A bit of everything ...

“Everyone has their own forms of expression. I think we all have a lot to say, but finding ways to say it is more than half the battle." Criss Jami (existentialist philosopher, poet, essayist, musician, singer, designer and lyricist). | "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth". Marcus Aurelius (Roman Emperor).

Send a $0.01 microtip in crypto to the author, and earn yourself as you read!

20% to author / 80% to me.
We pay the tips from our rewards pool.