Elon Musk has suggested several significant changes to X (formerly known as Twitter), including removing the dates from posts in the main timeline and introducing a new $8 fee for new users to sign up, Fortune reports.
These changes come as Musk continues to overhaul the platform following his acquisition in 2022.
Musk has asked staff at X to explore the possibility of eliminating the date and time stamps from posts displayed in the main timeline. This proposal has raised concerns among some employees who worry that removing date context could exacerbate misinformation on the platform. Currently, users can view the date a post was made by clicking on the individual post, but the timeline itself typically includes this information. Musk has emphasized that he believes this change would improve the platform’s user interface, which he often refers to as a matter of “every pixel counts.”
While the idea aims to streamline the user experience, some staff members believe that removing the date could create confusion for users and hinder their ability to assess the timeliness and context of information. Historically, the chronological timeline of posts has been a hallmark of Twitter, even before the introduction of algorithm-driven feeds.
Alongside the proposal to remove dates, Musk is also planning to implement a one-time $8 sign-up fee for new users starting in February. Under this plan, new users would pay the fee to create an account and would receive one month of X Premium, which costs $7 per month and includes a “verified” checkmark badge. Musk has framed the fee as a measure to combat bots, which have been a growing concern for the platform. This initiative builds on a test of a nominal $1 fee for new users in select countries, which was implemented in 2023.
The new sign-up fee comes as X’s advertising revenue has reportedly fallen significantly, and many major brands have reduced their presence on the platform. Musk has suggested that charging users is the only way for X to become profitable, though the idea of requiring a fee for social media access is relatively uncommon compared to ad-supported platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
