Elon Musk is the visionary CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. He has made a bold decision. Musk will abandon his phone number and rely solely on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, for all his communication needs. Musk announced his plan on X late Thursday night. He said that he would discontinue his phone number in a few months. Then, he will only use X for texts and audio/video calls.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) FEBRUARY 15, 2024
Musk’s move is seen as a way to showcase the new features of X. X’s introduced audio and video calling capabilities in October 2022. The feature allows users to make and receive calls from other X users. Options to filter callers based on their contacts, followers, verification status, or a combination of these are available. However, only those who subscribe to the premium version of X, which costs $4.99 per month, can initiate calls. The rest can only receive them.
Elon Musk‘s decision also implies limiting his callers to those willing to pay for the premium service. This may create a sense of exclusivity and privilege among his fans and followers. However, it may also alienate some of his potential contacts. These can include journalists, investors, partners, or regulators. They may not have or want to use X for calling.
Moreover, Musk may face some technical challenges with his plan. For example, there could be compatibility issues with multi-factor authentication. This often requires a phone number to verify a user’s identity. Additionally, X requires a verified phone number to create and maintain an account. This is especially important for those with blue ticks indicating high-profile or influential users.
Musk’s decision is part of his larger vision to transform X into an “everything app” that offers unlimited interactivity for its users. Besides audio and video calling, X provides messaging, payments, tipping, live audio, newsletters, and more. Musk has been an avid user and promoter of X, often using it to share his opinions, ideas, memes, and announcements. He has also been involved in controversies and lawsuits over his X posts. The tweet that declared that funding was secured led to a massive $20 million fine from the SEC.
Elon’s move to ditch his phone number and go all-in on X for calls is bold and innovative. It reflects his personality and vision. It also raises questions about the future of communication technology. It also questions the role of social media platforms in shaping it.
