Elon Musk recently hinted at the possibility of X, formerly known as Twitter, implementing charges for all users. Subsequently, X announced a trial program named “Not a Bot.” In this trial, new users from New Zealand and the Philippines will be required to pay a $1 annual subscription fee to post and interact with other users. However, this fee will be waived for those who opt for X’s $3.99 per month premium subscription service.
This test will exclusively affect new web accounts, and users who choose not to subscribe to either the premium or annual plan will be limited to reading posts, watching videos, and following accounts without the ability to interact on the platform. Existing users will not be impacted by this trial.
X introduced this program to combat spam, manipulation, and bot activity on the platform while maintaining accessibility through a nominal fee. The company clarifies that the fee is not intended to generate profits.
The decision to test this system followed Elon Musk’s encouragement for users to sign up for X Premium as a means to reduce spam and scams. Musk believes that requiring credit card payments can help verify user identities and create a higher barrier to entry for inauthentic accounts. Premium users also receive benefits such as a blue checkmark, increased visibility for their posts, and eligibility for X’s ad revenue share program. Elon Musk recently hinted
Musk’s remarks about charging all users were made in response to the challenge of combatting bot accounts. However, experts have pointed out that some malicious actors may be willing to pay for inauthentic accounts, and individuals could theoretically pay to verify an account and then automate it, effectively creating a verified but automated (“bot”) account.
X has faced criticism in recent times due to the spread of false and misleading claims related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The European Commission has initiated an investigation into X following earlier warnings about disinformation and illegal content linked to the conflict on its platform.
X has reported removing “hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts” and taking down thousands of posts since the conflict began. The platform has also intensified its Community Notes program, allowing users to fact-check each other’s posts. X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, has emphasized the platform’s efforts to address fake and manipulated content during this ongoing and evolving crisis in a letter to EU Commissioner Thierry Breton.