Elon Musk's X Cuts Libraries from Premium Perks – Is Free Speech Under Attack?

Elon Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has quietly removed access to major digital libraries for Premium+ subscribers, sparking debate over corporate censorship and the future of online knowledge sharing.

The Sudden Removal of Digital Libraries

Until recently, X Premium+ members enjoyed complimentary access to digital libraries including:

• OverDrive/Libby (used by 90% of U.S. public libraries)
• Hoopla (film/TV/music streaming)
• Kanopy (indie/educational film platform)

The change came without warning, leaving subscribers—especially students and researchers—scrambling for alternatives.

Officials Claim "Cost-Cutting Measures"

X representatives stated the decision was purely financial, citing "unsustainable partnership costs." However, critics point to:

1. Musk's repeated clashes with educational institutions
2. X's rising operational costs following advertiser boycotts
3. The platform's shift toward paywalled content

Free Speech or Paywalled Knowledge?

Digital rights advocates argue this move contradicts Musk's "free speech absolutist" stance. The removal disproportionately affects:

• Low-income users relying on free library access
• Rural communities with limited physical libraries
• Researchers needing peer-reviewed journals

Meanwhile, X continues offering perks like:

• Ad revenue sharing for creators
• Priority replies and mentions
• Long-form video uploads

What Do You Think?

• Is this truly a financial decision, or part of Musk's pattern of devaluing educational resources?
• Should digital library access be considered a basic social media perk?
• Does this hurt X's credibility as a "public square" for information?
• Could this push more users toward decentralized alternatives like Mastodon?
• Is Musk intentionally making X less attractive to "academic elites"?

Breaking Now News will continue following this developing story.