Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, June 16, 2023.
Chesnot | Getty Images
X, formerly known as Twitter, is set to conduct a test that will require new users to pay an annual subscription fee of $1 in order to “post & interact with other posts,” according to a recent announcement.
The popular social media platform revealed on Tuesday evening that this move is part of its ongoing efforts to combat spam and bot activity. The company’s subscription program, titled “Not A Bot,” will commence its trial phase in New Zealand and the Philippines.
Elon Musk had previously indicated that the company planned to transition to a subscription fee model in September. However, X clarified that the changes are not primarily driven by profit.
Users who choose not to or are unable to pay the annual fee will be restricted to viewing posts and following accounts, the company explained. Musk has long been vocal about the need to address excessive bot activity on the platform, a concern that dates back to before he acquired the company in October 2022.
Prior to the acquisition, Musk alleged that Twitter, as it was then known, was underreporting the presence of bots on the platform as part of an attempt to back out of the binding $44 billion deal. However, this claim was disputed by experts who analyzed the situation.
Under Musk’s ownership, bot activity has reportedly worsened. The social media platform, which plays a crucial role in disaster response infrastructure and serves as an important tool for newsgathering, has undergone significant changes in line with Musk’s decisions.
Early on, Musk implemented alterations to the verification process for users, replacing notability requirements with a paid model. Additionally, he made cuts to trust and safety teams as part of a wider cost-cutting initiative.
Independent researchers had previously identified a substantial number of bot accounts promoting crypto tokens, consequently driving up their prices. Many users have expressed dissatisfaction with the platform’s decline, but competitors such as Bluesky, Meta’s Threads, or Mastodon have yet to pose a significant challenge.
The exact timeline for the global rollout of the paid subscription remains unclear.
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