Elon Musk, the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, has confirmed plans to implement a fee for new users to post on the platform as a measure to combat the proliferation of bots.
Responding to a post regarding X’s policy on new accounts, Musk emphasized that charging new users is a necessary step to address the persistent issue of bots on the platform.
He highlighted that the abundance of fake accounts not only poses challenges in identifying genuine users but also occupies the available namespace, resulting in the unavailability of desirable usernames.
“Unfortunately, a small fee for new user write access is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots,” Musk stated.
“Current AI (and troll farms) can pass ‘are you a bot’ with ease. The onslaught of fake accounts also uses up the available namespace, so many good handles are taken as a result.”
Musk further elaborated that while new users would initially be required to pay a fee for posting, they would gain free access to posting features after three months.
This announcement comes after X implemented a similar policy on October 17, 2023, charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 per year for access to key features such as tweeting, retweeting, liking posts, and replying to posts.
The platform cited the aim to reduce spam, manipulation, and bot activity as the rationale behind the decision.
Recently, on April 4, Elon Musk revealed that X initiated a cleanup operation to purge the platform of bot accounts and trolls, which could lead to the suspension of legitimate accounts.
Additionally, Musk affirmed the company’s commitment to identifying and holding accountable those responsible for manipulating the platform.
