X CEO confirms video calls are coming to the platform
Twitter (X) CEO Linda Yaccarino has confirmed the forthcoming introduction of video chat on the platform.
In an interview with CNBC’s Sara Eisen, Yaccarino stated, “Soon you’ll be able to make video chat calls without having to give your phone number to anyone on the platform.”
This development aligns with Yaccarino and Musk’s shared vision of transforming X into an “everything app,” encompassing long-form videos, payments, and creator subscriptions.
This revelation comes on the heels of a somewhat enigmatic social media post by X designer Andrea Conway earlier this week. She wrote, “Just called someone on X,” followed by four exploding-head emojis.
Although the post did not explicitly indicate whether the call was voice or video, it is now evident that she was alluding to video calls.
The utility of X’s video calls in an already saturated video-chat landscape, featuring competitors like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Apple FaceTime, is not immediately evident.
Musk’s changes on the platform
However, as Musk and Yaccarino steer the company’s trajectory, they increasingly view the platform, formerly known as Twitter, as evolving beyond mere tweets into a dynamic real-time hub encompassing various forms of media, communication, and financial transactions.
One of X’s initial forays into new domains was the introduction of long-form videos.
In May, the company unveiled the Twitter Blue subscription, affording subscribers the ability to upload videos of up to two hours in duration.
Payment to creators
Furthermore, X has recently initiated compensation for content creators who have amassed a significant following, with one user claiming earnings of $24,000.
Yaccarino reiterated the company’s prior statements regarding X’s potential as a payment platform. She said, “Payments between you and a friend, between you and one of your creators. So there’s been a lot going on in the rebrand represented really a liberation from Twitter.
“A liberation that allowed us to evolve past a legacy mindset and thinking and to reimagine how everyone, everyone on spaces who’s listening, everybody who’s watching around the world, it’s going to change how we congregate, how we entertain, how we transact all in one platform.”
