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Rabat – Elon Musk has commenced a trial in New Zealand and the Philippines that charges new users an annual fee of $1 a year. This fee will grant users access to essential features such as tweeting, retweeting, liking posts, and replying to posts.
Users who opt to forgo the subscription fee will retain the ability to read posts, watch videos, and follow accounts, but they will be unable to engage in the core interactive functions of the platform. This strategic decision is part of X’s overarching plan to combat spam, manipulation of its platform, and bot activity.
To further strengthen user identity and deter misuse, new accounts on X will also be required to verify their phone numbers. Notably, Elon Musk has clarified that creating “read-only” accounts, devoid of the aforementioned key features, will remain free of charge.
Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter for a staggering $44 billion last year, has emphasized the necessity of making users pay for the service as a means of addressing the growing bot problem.
He points out that the cost of creating a bot is minimal, but even a small monetary barrier can significantly reduce their presence. Musk remarked: “If somebody even has to pay a few dollars or something, some minor amount, the effective cost to bots is very high.”
While charging users for access to key features holds the potential to bolster X’s revenue, it does come with certain risks. One significant concern is the potential loss of a substantial portion of its user base, which could, in turn, lead to a decline in advertising revenue — a major source of income for the platform.
In recent weeks, X has faced scrutiny from the European Union regarding its role in the possible dissemination of terrorist and violent content as well as hate speech, particularly following Hamas’s attack on Israel. This has raised important questions about the platform’s role in content moderation and user accountability.
