Elon Musk, the CEO of X (formerly known as Twitter), has revealed plans to implement a new policy that will require new users to pay a small fee to enable posting on the social network.
This move is aimed at addressing the persistent issue of bot accounts and spam that have plagued the platform.
In response to a post about changes on X’s website, Musk stated that charging a small fee to new accounts is the “only way” to stop the “onslaught of bots.”
As Musk explained, “Current AI (and troll farms) can pass ‘are you a bot’ with ease,” referring to tools like CAPTCHA that are commonly used to verify user authenticity.
Unfortunately, a small fee for new user write access is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.
Current AI (and troll farms) can pass “are you a bot” with ease.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 15, 2024
Musk further clarified that new accounts will be able to post after three months of creation without having to pay the fee. However, the details about the specific fee amount and the timeline for implementing this policy have not been disclosed yet.
Also Read: X, formally, Twitter launches two new premium tiers
This announcement follows a similar move made by X last October, when the platform started charging new unverified users $1 per year in New Zealand and the Philippines. In those regions, new free users could only read posts and were required to pay a fee to interact with the content on the platform.
Earlier this month, X also announced that the platform was starting a major purge of spam accounts, warning users that their follower count might be affected.
Today, we're kicking off a significant, proactive initiative to eliminate accounts that violate our Rules against platform manipulation and spam. While we aim for accuracy in the accounts we remove, we're casting a wide net to ensure X remains secure and free of bots. As a…
— Safety (@Safety) April 4, 2024
With the plan to charge new users, the social media company is now taking a more proactive approach to tackle the bot problem.
As Musk stated, “Current AI (and troll farms) can pass ‘are you a bot’ with ease,” suggesting that the platform’s current measures have not been effective in curbing the influx of bots and spam. The introduction of a fee for new users is expected to deter bot operators and help maintain the platform’s integrity.
While the details of this new policy are yet to be finalized, the move is seen as a step towards addressing one of the longstanding challenges faced by X (Twitter) – the proliferation of bot accounts and spam.
As the platform continues to evolve under Musk’s leadership, users can anticipate further changes aimed at enhancing the overall user experience and the quality of content on the social network.
