Hong Kong’s Crypto Push Gets Blunt Warning as Probe Erupts
A crypto controversy has erupted in Hong Kong amid a probe of a trading platform that has ensnared
2023-09-19 14:17
Elon Musk says Twitter to move behind paywall as all users forced to pay ‘small’ monthly fee
Elon Musk said X is looking to charge users a “small monthly payment” to tackle bots on the social network. X, previously known as Twitter, underwent a number of changes soon after Mr Musk, the multibillionaire owner of X Corp, bought it. The platform is now “moving to having a small, monthly payment for use of the X system” to combat “vast armies of bots”, Mr Musk said during a livestreamed conversation with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. However, the Tesla and SpaceX boss did not reveal how much the new plan would cost X users or what additional features subscribers would get. During the interaction with Mr Netanyahu, the Tesla titan said X currently has 550 million “monthly users” who generate 100-200 million posts per day, adding that the new change to include a “small amount of money” would be necessary to deal with the problem posed by bots. It is unclear whether the multibillionaire’s figure of 550 million monthly users includes bots and also doesn’t allow comparison with the metric the company has used to estimate its user base, called the “average monetizable daily active users” or mDAUs. But the Tesla chief said a subscription fee would make it more difficult for bots to create accounts as each bot would need a new credit card to register on the platform. “It’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots,” Mr Musk said. “Because a bot costs a fraction of a penny – call it a tenth of a penny – but even if it has to pay a few dollars or something, the effective cost of bots is very high,” he explained. The platform has historically struggled to curb the activity of bots, with the company’s former security chief Peiter Zatko telling the US Congress last year that Twitter does not even know how many automated accounts are on the site. Mr Musk even cited bots as a reason to back out of buying the social platform before he went on to complete the deal. He has also previously discussed putting all of Twitter behind a paywall. Now the Tesla boss says the rebranded X plans to introduce a new “lower tier pricing” than the $8 monthly fee it currently charges subscribers of its premium Blue service. The conversation between Mr Musk and the Israeli prime minister also touched on topics like AI regulation as well as hate speech and antisemitism on X. Mr Musk claimed during the discussion that he’s “against antisemitism” and “anything that promotes hate and conflict”. “I’m sort of against attacking any group, you know. Doesn’t matter who it is,” the Tesla chief said. Online safety experts have warned about the social media platform under “free speech absolutist” Mr Musk offering “amnesty” to accounts previously suspended for hate speech and instigating violence. Under the Tesla titan, the platform restored the account of former US president Donald Trump who was banned following the 2021 Capitol riots, as well as the profiles of Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and neo-Nazi website founder Andrew Anglin. Read More The ex factor: the very complex love life of Elon Musk Netanyahu visits Elon Musk in California with plans to talk about artificial intelligence Turkey's President Erdogan and Elon Musk discuss establishing a Tesla car factory in Turkey Elon Musk’s X finally agrees to try and settle Twitter’s mass layoffs lawsuit Musk the messiah (or a very naughty boy?) Elon Musk warns of ‘civilisational risk’ posed by AI at historic gathering
2023-09-19 13:24
The Mission to Create Europe’s Battery Hub, Whatever the Cost
Next to fields of corn and sunflowers near the city of Debrecen in eastern Hungary, workers in hard
2023-09-19 12:46
Big Oil Shows Support for Energy Transition But on Its Own Terms
The heads of Saudi Aramco and Exxon Mobil Corp. took to the stage at a major industry event
2023-09-19 08:23
Pay to Post? Elon Musk Floats Idea of Charging to Tweet
Elon Musk is signaling he’s thinking about requiring users to pay to post on Twitter.
2023-09-19 07:49
Square CEO Alyssa Henry is stepping down, and Jack Dorsey will take over for now
Alyssa Henry, the CEO of Square -- a unit of Jack Dorsey's fintech company, Block -- will leave her post at the company next month.
2023-09-19 05:49
Binance.US Trading Volume Tumbles While SEC Dispute Heats Up
Trading volume on Binance.US is evaporating as the cryptocurrency exchange’s fight with US regulators intensifies. As of August,
2023-09-19 04:54
Musk Assures Netanyahu He Is Against Antisemitism
Elon Musk opened up a discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by staunchly defending himself against accusations
2023-09-19 04:53
That 'Bama Standard: Trevon Diggs reveals insane goals for Cowboys defense
After statement-making performances against the Giants and the Jets, the Cowboys defense is hungry for more.
2023-09-19 04:18
Israel's Netanyahu urges Musk to balance free speech, fighting hate on X
By Sheila Dang and Ari Rabinovitch Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Elon Musk to strike a balance
2023-09-19 03:27
iOS 17 release: See what's new in iPhone features
iPhone users: Today's the day to update to Apple's latest operating system, iOS17, and unlock a slew of new features that promise to make the iPhone experience more personal and intuitive.
2023-09-19 02:45
Tesla, Saudi Arabia in early talks for EV factory - WSJ
(Reuters) -Saudi Arabia is in early talks with U.S. electric automaker Tesla to set up a manufacturing facility in the
2023-09-19 01:18