Twitter will allow publishers to charge users per article read, says Elon Musk | Twitter

Twitter CEO Elon Musk said on Saturday that the social media platform will allow media publishers to charge users per article with a single click, calling it a win for audiences and media organisations.

The feature, which will roll out in May, will allow users who “don’t subscribe to a monthly subscription to pay a higher price per article when they want to read an occasional article,” billionaire owner Musk tweeted.

On Friday, Musk said that Twitter will take a 10% discount on content subscriptions after the first year, noting that the company won’t take a discount for the first 12 months. These subscriptions include long texts and videos of several hours.

Since taking over the social media company in October, Musk has made changes to try to boost Twitter’s revenue after the social media platform saw ad revenue plummet last year at the approaching its recurring acquisition which closed.

Under the ownership of Musk Twitter cut its staff from 7,500 to around 1,500, raising concerns that moderation standards and its ability to comply with upcoming European standards will suffer.

Twitter has been repeatedly warned that it not ready for a new European Union regulatory regime surveillance of digital platforms, with violations risking a fine of 6% of worldwide turnover and, in the most extreme cases, a temporary suspension of service.

Under rules for major platforms, they must carry out annual risk assessments outlining the risks of harmful content such as misinformation, misogyny, child abuse and election manipulation. Moderation systems and measures put in place to mitigate these risks will also be monitored by the EU.

Platforms will also be prohibited from creating profiles of child users for companies to target them with ads. Platforms accessible to minors must also put in place measures to protect their privacy and ensure their security. Users should also be able to easily report illegal content.

With Reuters