X has officially declared its intention to charge new users who visit the service formerly known as Twitter.
X Formerly Twitter Tests To Charge Users $1 Annually For Tweets
The company has introduced a new subscription package called “Not a Bot,” which is presently being tested in New Zealand and the Philippines.
According to Fortune, this membership requires new users to pay an annual charge of $1 for the pleasure of posting. X stated that the platform began testing of ‘Not A Bot,’ an innovative subscription method for new users, in two nations on October 17th, 2023.
“This new test was developed to bolster our already significant efforts to reduce spam, manipulation of our platform and bot activity.
To Get Rid of Bots and Spammers
This will evaluate a potentially powerful measure to help us combat bots and spammers on X, while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee amount.”
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…
— Support (@Support) October 17, 2023
To use crucial functions such as tweeting, retweeting, saving bookmarks, and like posts, new users must authenticate their phone numbers and pay a $1 fee. Those who do not pay will have limited access, confined to a “read-only” mode.
Exemption for Existing Users
The corporation has stressed that these fees would not be levied on existing users for the time being, emphasizing that this program is not intended to generate profits.
Nonetheless, the initial experiment is likely to spark suspicion that X will eventually extend these fees to all users.
During a live-streamed meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month, Elon Musk hinted at the prospect of instituting required payments to combat bots and spam.
Elon Musk and His Desires
Elon Musk has publicly stated his desire to gain access to users’ credit card and invoicing information, which coincides with his larger objective of expanding into banking and offering additional financial services through X.
According to his biographer, Walter Isaacson, Musk’s desire to recruit users is eternally linked to his desire to create an all-encompassing program similar to WeChat in China.
Musk expressed disappointment after learning that Apple does not reveal credit card information for people who sign up using their iPhones.
To read our blog on “Twitter downloads reached 10-year slump after X rebrand,” click here.