Elon Musk has recently unveiled a new initiative to charge all users of X (formerly Twitter) a small fee for utilizing the platform, and this plan is now being put into action. X is currently in the process of testing a $1 per year subscription fee that permits new users to engage on the platform.
This new subscription method, named the “Not a Bot” program, is currently being piloted in two countries, New Zealand and the Philippines.
In a statement posted on their help center, the platform explained, “This new test was developed to strengthen our ongoing efforts to combat spam, manipulation of our platform, and bot-related activities. It represents a potentially effective measure to combat bots and spammers on X.”
The test will not impact existing X users. If you already have an X account in either of the two test countries, you will not be required to pay the $1/year fee. It remains unclear whether these terms will be the same when X launches the subscription service more broadly.
Starting today, we’re testing a new program (Not A Bot) in New Zealand and the Philippines. New, unverified accounts will be required to sign up for a $1 annual subscription to be able to post & interact with other posts. Within this test, existing users are not affected.
This…
— Support (@Support) October 17, 2023
For new accounts created in New Zealand and the Philippines, the initial step is phone number verification. Following verification, users can choose from three subscription tiers, which include the $1/year Not-a-Bot plan, X Premium, and the Verified Organizations plan.
Users who opt for the first option will have the ability to perform specific actions on the web version of the platform, such as posting content, liking posts, replying, reposting, quoting other posts, and bookmarking posts.
New users who do not subscribe to the Not-a-Bot plan will have limited capabilities, including reading posts, watching videos, and following accounts. Users will also have the flexibility to cancel their Not-a-Bot Program subscription at any time.
