Elon Musk, the owner of the microblogging platform X, has unveiled intentions to impose a fee on new users for posting content on the platform. Musk believes that this strategy will be instrumental in controlling the surge of bots on the platform.
During a recent discussion on X’s new policy for newly created accounts, Musk revealed that new users would be granted free posting privileges after a three-month period.
Musk explained that a small fee for new user write access is the only viable solution to counteract the persistent influx of bots, which have become increasingly sophisticated and can bypass “are you a bot” checks. He also mentioned that the proliferation of fake accounts consumes the available usernames, making it difficult for users to secure desirable handles.
,Musk introduced a $1 per year charge for new users in New Zealand and the Philippines on October 17 2023, granting them access to essential features such as tweeting, retweeting, liking posts, and replying to posts. This move aimed to address the growing concern of bots and troll farms on the platform, which have been affecting the user experience.
