Elon Musk announces new X users will be charged for using the platform
- X users might have to pay a small fee to post, reply, like, or bookmark a post
- New unverified users pay $1 per year in New Zealand and the Philippines
- Musk says it’s the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots
Published on Apr 16, 2024 at 4:16 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat
Last updated on Apr 17, 2024 at 7:26 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Elon Musk has been playing with the idea of making X a paid site for quite a while now.
Now, it seems that he is finally considering making new X users pay for posting content on the platform.
However, the situation is not as simple as you might think.
READ MORE! Elon Musk responds to MrBeast rejection with X revamp
Musk’s announcement came as a reply to an X user post that speculated the platform might be expanding its policy to charge new users before they post, reply, like, or bookmark a post.
The policy will help reduce spam and improve the experience for users overall.
Replying to the X user, Elon Musk said, “Unfortunately, a small fee for new user write access is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.”
He went on to say that current AI tools can easily bypass the ‘are you a bot’ tests.
“The onslaught of fake accounts also uses up the available namespace, so many good handles are taken as a result,” Musk added.
Last year, Elon Musk tried to put X behind a monthly paywall.
Due to this, the platform began charging new unverified users $1 per year in New Zealand and the Philippines.
However, soon all users might have to pay a fee before posting, replying, liking, or bookmarking a post.
Musk had suggested the payment system would be a lower tier than X’s premium subscription, which is currently $8 each month.
The public did not receive this news particularly well, with some users even vowing to boycott X and move to Threads if forced to pay.
However – should the plans ever come to fruition – users will still be able to follow accounts for free, which is something of a silver lining.
Fortunately, in a separate reply, Musk added, “This is only for new users.
“They will be able to do write actions for free after 3 months.”
It might certainly be a good idea if the fee is a one-time payment for a negligible amount, and if it helps with removing bots and troll accounts from the platform.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.
