X, formerly known as Twitter, has unveiled a new initiative in which new and unverified users must pay a $1 annual subscription fee to sign up.
This was revealed in a message posted today, October 18, on the popular social networking platform’s help account..
The program is currently being tested in New Zealand and the Philippines, according to X. New accounts will be able to post and engage with other users throughout the test.
The statement read, “Starting today, we’re testing a new program (Not A Bot) in New Zealand and the Philippines.
“New, unverified accounts will be required to sign up for a $1 annual subscription to be able to post & interact with other posts. Within this test, existing users are not affected.
“This new test was developed to bolster our already successful efforts to reduce spam, manipulation of our platform and bot activity while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee amount. It is not a profit driver.
“And so far, subscription options have proven to be the main solution that works at scale.”
Elon Musk, the CEO of X, revealed the rationale for the annual subscription cost in a tweet on Wednesday..
According to Musk, the fee will curb spam and automated bot accounts..
“Correct, read for free, but $1/year to write. It’s the only way to fight bots without blocking real users.
“This won’t stop bots completely, but it will be 1000X harder to manipulate the platform.”
Credit: X, Elon Musk usk
