Analysis of Google search data reveals that online searches for ‘Delete X account’ soared by 1,477% in the United Kingdom on September 25, after CEO Elon Musk suggested a plan to charge all users for X (Formerly known as Twitter).
A new finding by Venture Smarter reveals that online interest in the term ‘Delete X account’ has skyrocketed by 1,477% since the social media giant’s CEO discussed a plan to make X subscription-only to reduce the “vast armies of bots.”
In a conversation with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk said, “We’re moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system.”
He did not say how much it would cost, but it would be lower than the £9.60 premium subscribers currently pay.
The move has sent Google searches for ‘Is Elon Musk charging for Twitter’ soaring by 3,372% as users find out when they will be affected.
Since the news was reported, UK searches for ‘Delete X’ and ‘Delete X account’ have skyrocketed by 1,383% and 1,477%.
‘Delete Twitter’ and ‘How to delete Twitter’ searches have also shot up by 1,103% and 563%, respectively.
It is not yet known when the move will happen but such plans have been suggested since 2022.
Around 825,000 users are currently subscribed to X Premium, according to a Mashable report. That is only around 0.01% of Twitter’s total monthly visitors, according to traffic data via Similarweb.
A spokesperson from Venture Smarter commented on the findings: “Elon Musk’s plan to charge all users is aimed at discouraging bots, but may actually discourage users. The move may convert more paid subscribers. However, users appear to have been turned off by the suggestion. Findings show a large uptick in searches to delete their account. It is a risky move for the CEO to prevent all users from accessing unless they pay for the platform, and it may end up in other social media platforms seeing a boost in traffic if the changes happen. As the cost of living crisis continues to hit UK households, it may encourage users to switch off the platform for good”.
