A survey last year highlighted Elon Musk 's plans to implement a new fee for new users on X (formerly Twitter) , as a measure against bots, believing that this would be the only solution for a bot- free platform .
Recently, Musk went on to confirm his intentions, revealing further details about how this potential charge would work.
See also: Elon Musk accused of profiting from hate speech in X
In a recent post on X, Elon Musk suggested to a user that introducing a “symbolic fee” for new accounts wishing to post on the platform is the “only way” to address systematic abuse by bots.
He further argued that modern artificial intelligence can easily overcome protective user identity verification tests. In another post, he emphasized that users who choose not to pay the fee will retain the ability to follow accounts and read posts without charge.
For users who do not choose to pay to unlock the posting feature, we will offer it for free after a three-month period. Analysis of the code in App X confirms this change, as you can see from the details below:
“Register to gain the ability to post and participate. Before taking any registration actions on the platform, such as posts, “likes”, bookmarks and replies, new unverified users are required to pay a small annual fee. This is intended to reduce bots and spam, for the best experience for everyone. However, you are free to follow accounts and browse X at no cost,” a message reads.
There is no information on the timeline for implementing this system or the cost of the fee. According to rumors, X is considering imposing a $1 fee per year on unverified users.
Ever since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, he has promised to crack down on bots and spam accounts, unveiling a plan that would allow users to pay $8 a month to get a blue verified badge. However, the move has not seemed to have the desired effect in the fight against bots. In fact, many bots continue to pay to get the blue badge, misleading users by pretending to be someone else.
Also read: What is the function of the blue X verification mark?
It is unclear how imposing a new fee will effectively block accounts and spam on the platform.
Source: 9to5mac
