X.com: A Western WeChat Model Where Your Identity is Linked – But You Can Choose Anonymity

X.com, formerly known as Twitter, is following a path similar to China’s WeChat in its approach to user identity and verification. While WeChat has long required users to link their accounts to real-world government IDs, X.com offers a more flexible model: you can create a profile using a pseudonym or remain anonymous. However, the twist comes with the premium subscription.

Once you subscribe to X.com’s premium service, your real identity is no longer hidden. Much like WeChat, where anonymity is often maintained by users opting for pseudonyms, X.com allows some privacy—until you decide to unlock premium features, at which point they connect your online activity to your real-world identity.

This model reflects the increasing trend of linking digital identities to real-world verification, balancing the desire for privacy with the need for transparency in transactions and online interactions. While many WeChat users continue to use pseudonyms, especially for casual use, X.com provides the flexibility to control when and how your true identity is revealed.

It’s clear: the digital age is moving towards a hybrid model of anonymity and identity verification, and platforms like X.com are leading the charge in the West. The question is, how much of our online selves are we willing to reveal when the cost of anonymity might be just a premium subscription away?