A report final 12 months revealed that Elon Musk had plans to introduce a brand new cost for customers who’ve simply registered on X (previously Twitter) on the grounds that this might be the one method to make the platform freed from bots. Now Musk himself has confirmed his intentions and revealed extra particulars about this potential payment.
X to cost new customers a payment
In a submit on X, Musk instructed a person {that a} βsmall paymentβ to let new accounts submit on the platform is the βsolely method to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.β He additionally argued that AI instruments can simply move βyouβre a roboticβ exams. In one other submit, the proprietor of X stated that customers who select to not pay the payment will nonetheless be capable of observe different accounts and skim posts totally free.
Those that donβt pay to unlock the choice to submit will get it freed from cost after a interval of three months. Code discovered within the X app confirms the change, as you’ll be able to see beneath:
βSubscribe to unlock the power to submit and have interaction. New unverified customers are required to pay a small annual payment earlier than youβre in a position to carry out any write actions on internet, together with posting, liking, bookmarking, and replying. That is to scale back bots and spam to make the expertise higher for everybody. You’ll be able to nonetheless observe accounts and browse X totally free,β a message reads.
There isn’t any phrase on when this technique will come into impact or how a lot the payment will price. A earlier rumor stated that X needed to cost $1 a 12 months from non-verified customers.
9to5Macβs take
Ever since Musk acquired Twitter, he has been saying that he would put an finish to bots and spam accounts. This was one of many arguments for letting customers pay $8 a month to get a blue verified badge. Nonetheless, this had no impact on placing an finish to bots β the truth is, there are loads of bots that pay for the verified badge and impersonate different individuals.
Itβs unclear precisely how a brand new payment will forestall bot accounts and spam on the platform.