Elon Musk plans to sue those behind the X ad boycott following revelations from a Congressional hearing, reinforcing his commitment to free speech and citizen journalism on the platform.
Elon Musk has finally resolved to confront the primary perpetrators and collaborators of the boycott of X advertisement revenue. The Congressional hearing from Ben Shapiro, which revealed the strategies determining ad capital flow, catalyzed his most recent resolve.
Elon Musk is one of the most prominent American billionaires perceived as a menace by the mainstream media. He resolved to advocate for free expression on the platform after purchasing X for $44 billion. As a result of this determination, citizen journalism flourished, and numerous individuals purportedly began to place a greater trust in reports on X than in mainstream media.
However, advertising revenue was a significant obstacle to achieving this effectively. Numerous advertisers have abandoned the social media platform since he assumed power in 2022.
Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and Airbnb are among the brands that have discontinued advertising on the platform. The X app experienced a loss of up to $75 million in ad revenue due to the brand departure in November 2023.
Elon Musk implemented several significant modifications to the social media platform to speed up its operations. Initially, to reduce operational and recruiting expenses, he terminated a substantial number of employees. Subsequently, he implemented subscriptions on the X app, encouraging users to contribute directly to the company.
The X app has maintained its success in the absence of advertising revenue despite the hostility it received at the time. Elon Musk expressed his optimism that certain states will take legal action against the perpetrators of the directed censorship of platforms such as X in favor of legacy media.
The pivot to become the all-encompassing app is another significant topic of discussion regarding X. In addition to its primary function as a micro-messaging platform, there are plans to implement X payments for users.
The Elon Musk company has obtained licenses in over 20 US states under the X payment initiative. Additionally, the licensing program has been recently expanded to include Hawaii and other offshore US regions. The development efforts are not slowing down, even though the launch timeline for the X payments remains uncertain.
In addition to the emphasis on payment, Elon Musk is also advocating implementing an email service for the XMail platform. It is uncertain whether the billionaire will pursue the litigation threat; however, if he does, it will not be his first involvement in a high-profile legal dispute.