In a move to combat spam and bots, X (formerly Twitter) will begin charging new users $1 a year to access key features including the ability to tweet, reply, and quote. The new policy will go into effect on Tuesday for new users in New Zealand and the Philippines.
Those who opt out of the subscription fee will still be able to read posts, watch videos, and follow accounts, but will not be able to engage in any interactive features.
X says that the new policy is not a profit driver, but is instead designed to reduce spam and manipulation on the platform. The company says that the $1 fee will make it more difficult for bots to create and maintain accounts.
The move has been met with mixed reactions from users. Some have praised the company for taking steps to address the problem of spam, while others have expressed concern that the fee will create a barrier to entry for new users. It remains to be seen how effective the new policy will be in combating spam and bots.
X has also published the “Not-a-Bot Terms and Conditions”, outlining its plan for a paid subscription service that gives users certain abilities on their platform, like posting content and interacting with other users.
The sources for this piece include an article in Axios.