Tech billionaire Elon Musk-owned X is set to start charging new users in two countries $1 per year for access to key features, including the ability to tweet and retweet.
The move is seen as an attempt to combat the growing problem of bots and spam on the platform.
The new subscription plan, called “Not a Bot,” will launch in New Zealand and the Philippines. Existing users will not be affected by the change.
Correct, read for free, but $1/year to write. It’s the only way to fight bots without blocking real users.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 18, 2023
This won’t stop bots completely, but it will be 1000X harder to manipulate the platform.
The $1 annual fee is a relatively small price to pay for access to X’s platform, and it is likely that most new users will be willing to pay it. However, some critics have argued that the move could alienate potential users and lead to a decline in X’s popularity.
