Anti-bot drive: X to charge new users for tweeting and retweeting

WEB DESK: Joining X, previously known as Twitter, via its website in New Zealand and the Philippines will soon cost new users $1 per year.

This subscription fee, part of the “Not a Bot” programme, aims to enhance efforts to reduce spam, platform manipulation, and bot activity, according to an announcement by X.

To register on the web, users in these countries must also verify their accounts with a phone number.

The decision to charge $1 annually will be applied specifically to new web users, with no explanation provided as to why this fee is limited to the web platform and not the mobile app.

X hinted that regions like New Zealand and the Philippines might experience higher bot activities, making it necessary to implement these measures.

Users who choose not to subscribe will have limited functionality, allowing only “read-only” actions such as viewing posts and videos.

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Interestingly, despite the initial announcement focusing on the web, the terms and conditions of “Not a Bot” suggest that subscriptions can also be made through X’s iOS and Android apps.

This new subscription model is an addition to X’s existing $8-per-month subscription plan.

Elon Musk, the driving force behind these changes, believes that charging users will deter bot armies, although the actual percentage of paying users remains small.

Despite these changes, X continues to boast record-high user engagement.