Europe 1 14:51 p.m., October 20, 2023

What does the future hold for platform X, formerly Twitter? According to a US media outlet, Elon Musk is considering shutting down the platform in Europe, as new regulations to combat the spread of false information are adopted. But if X doesn't disappear, it may well become a paying bill.

Will X disappear from our smartphones? The app, formerly known as Twitter, could soon be shut down in Europe. According to the American media outlet Business Insider, the boss of the social network, Elon Musk, is thinking about making X inaccessible in the European Union.

This is mainly due to the new regulation on digital services in Europe, the Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to better protect users against fake news and scams. While platforms have until January 2024, 7 to comply, Hamas' attack on Israel on October <> has accelerated the process.

Elon Musk says the information is "totally false"

As fake news spreads faster and faster, the European Commission has opened an investigation into the US platform for allegedly disseminating "false information, violent and terrorist content".

In addition, Elon Musk is also said to be aiming to reduce the platform's costs. While Europe accounts for almost 10% of the 400 million users, on the Old Continent, the number of daily active users is in free fall. Especially since in the event of non-compliance with the DSA, financial penalties could amount to up to 6% of X's turnover, i.e. more than $200 million, reports BFMTV.

When asked about the issue, Elon Musk exclaimed that this information was "totally false", before estimating that the American media Business Insider "is not a real media".

An app that will soon be paid for?

If X, formerly Twitter, doesn't disappear, will it then become paid? The question also arises, as the platform tests a mandatory paid subscription in New Zealand and the Philippines. Now, all new followers have to pay about a dollar a year to be able to Twitter and react to content.

If new users refuse to pay, they will not have access to the play function, allowing them to only read tweets and be able to follow accounts. The goal is to "fight against bots and spammers on X," according to a company press release.

It remains to be seen whether this experiment will eventually see the light of day in France, and will apply to millions of French users.