Elon Musk reveals X will get two new premium subscriptions soon - one of which ditches the ads

Elon Musk has told us that X - or the social media site formerly known as Twitter, as we prefer to call it (well, it's snappier) - will be getting two new tiers of premium subscriptions.

As per Musk's tweet, one subscription tier will be pricier, but won't have any adverts, and the other will be cheaper (than the existing $8 plan) and will sport all features, but with no reduction in ads compared to the current level. (The $8 tier will halve ad numbers).

In short, denizens of X will have three choices of how they wish to pay - if they wish to pay a subscription at all.

Of course, it looks like X is heading the way that everyone will have to pay, or at least anybody who wants to post will (or indeed like tweets, or do anything really). That's due to the 'not a bot' scheme aimed at stamping out bots, which only lets a non-paying X user read posts and follow accounts - and nothing else.

Granted, the subscription is just $1 per year, so hardly breaks the bank, but obviously it's ruffling feathers all over the place right now - though the scheme is only active so far in New Zealand and the Philippines.

Even such a small charge runs the risk of shedding an absolute ton of users in our opinion, certainly based on the reaction to this change so far. The irony of the move hasn't been lost, of course, in terms of the grand idea of advancing free speech, while charging for it. (Don't pay? Don't post).

Talk of more premium options for payment is likely to only stir the controversy pot further (and it's been bubbling furiously ever since Musk took over). The world will be watching keenly, no doubt, at the pricing for these new plans.