Twitter will always be free for "casual users," but government and business users may face a "slight cost" to stay on the social media platform, according to Elon Musk, the company's future owner.
Twitter will always be free for casual users, but maybe a slight cost for commercial/government users
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2022
A news story in Fortune noted that Musk's $44 billion offer to buy Twitter Inc. and take it private was approved by Twitter's board last week.
How Does Twitter Earn Money?
As per CNBC, it's unclear how much Musk wants to charge businesses and governments or whether some groups, including non-profits and journalists, will be excluded.
Twitter has consistently underperformed other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube in terms of revenue.
Fortune mentioned that the majority of the social network's revenue is presently generated from advertising. However, Twitter also offers other commercial services, such as access to the Twitter API for companies interested in marketing or brand analysis.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, Twitter is already testing a premium membership service called Twitter Blue that includes additional functionalities.
It was reported that users might undo tweets and bookmark tweets with the premium offering, which costs $2.99 per month in the U.S. Last month, Musk said he wanted to lower the price of Twitter Blue and make improvements to the service, including banning advertisements.
Other Plans for Twitter According to Musk
Musk, as reported by CNBC, has also stated that all Twitter direct messages should be end-to-end encrypted, ensuring that no one can snoop on or hack a user's conversations.
Musk remarked on Monday at the Met Gala that Twitter needs to get rid of the bots, trolls, and frauds that exist on the social media platform.
Separately, he also stated that he prefers "time-outs" to permanent bans, implying that former President Donald Trump may return to the platform under Musk's management. Following his tweets on the U.S. insurgency on Jan. 6, Twitter banned Trump from the platform.
Meanwhile, though Musk has stated that his primary concern with Twitter is the company's censorship of free speech, critics fear that the billionaire's control of the platform will result in the silencing of their voices and those with whom he may disagree, given that he has frequently blocked critics from his personal account.
Will Twitter Go Private?
Twitter is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, but Musk wants to take it private.
According to BBC, citing a report from The Wall Street Journal, Musk has informed investors that he may choose to return Twitter to the public stock market in as little as three years.
If the deal goes through and Musk becomes the company's owner, Twitter will be run by the world's richest man. Musk is worth an estimated $250 billion, thanks mostly to his Tesla stake. He also has a controlling stake in SpaceX, a rocket company worth an estimated $100 billion.
