X has begun charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines for access to fundamental features. The move is part of a new trial aimed at curbing spam on the platform.
For a nominal fee of $1 per year, users in these countries will be able to tweet, retweet, like posts, and reply to posts. Those who choose not to pay will be limited to viewing posts, watching videos, and following accounts.
The company explained in a blog post that this program was developed “to defend against bots and spammers who attempt to manipulate the platform and disrupt the experience of other X users”. This marks a significant change in X’s approach to user experience and platform integrity.
Elon Musk, the tech billionaire who acquired Twitter last year for $44 billion, has been vocal about his concerns regarding fake accounts, bots, and spam on the platform. His introduction of several controversial changes has drawn criticism from users globally.
A new trial, dubbed “Not A Bot”, has been launched in New Zealand and the Philippines. Under this trial, new users will be required to pay an annual fee to post on X, like and reply to posts, and bookmark content. The company stated on its website that this program is designed to combat bots and spammers who attempt to manipulate the platform and disrupt other users’ experiences.
The company clarified in a separate post on X that this is not a profit-driven move. It stated, “So far, subscription options have proven to be the main solution that works at scale.” The new model will not affect existing users and will cost approximately $0.75 per year for new users in the Philippines and $0.85 for those in New Zealand.
Users who choose not to pay will have read-only access to X, allowing them to view content and follow accounts. NetSafe, an independent online safety charity in New Zealand, commented on the move: “Anything that a platform does to protect their users from the harm they might experience is a step in the right direction.” They added that efforts to stop bots from engaging people in harmful conversations or verifying user identities could be beneficial in reducing harm.