Twitter's X imposes $1 subscription fee for new users

California: Social networking site Twitter, now known as X, has initiated a program charging $1 per year for new users in New Zealand and the Philippines.

The move is seen as a measure to enhance platform integrity and tackle manipulation and bot activity.

X, which is under the ownership of Elon Musk, announced the new subscription method, dubbed "Not a Bot," that will be tested for new users in the two countries.

The initiative aims to bolster ongoing efforts to reduce spam, manipulation, and bot activity on the platform.

The company stated, "Starting October 17, 2023, we have started testing 'Not a Bot,' a new subscription method for new users in two countries.

This new test spam, our platform, was developed to reinforce already important efforts to reduce manipulation and bot activity."

Current users will remain unaffected by this test, but new accounts created in New Zealand and the Philippines will be required to verify their phone numbers and pay an annual fee of $1 to gain the ability to post, reply, repost, reference, and bookmark posts.

The "Not a Bot" program aims to safeguard X against the influence of bots and spammers that can disrupt the user experience.

New users who opt out of subscribing will be limited to 'read-only' actions, such as reading posts, watching videos, and following accounts.

The move is part of an ongoing drive by X to counter bot-related issues that have impacted the platform's functionality.

The terms and conditions outline that the new charge is a beta program, and users signing up must agree to a recurring subscription payment.

Elon Musk, the owner of X, previously hinted at the possibility of charging fees for all users during discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month.

However, the current plan is limited to new customers.

Musk's rationale for this approach is that bots can be created at minimal cost, and increasing the account fee to "a few dollars or something," would act as a deterrent to bot operators.

Moreover, every time a bot creator wants to establish another bot, they would need to provide a new payment.