Elon Musk, the founder of the microblogging platform X, has unveiled plans to implement charges for new users when they post on the social media platform.
Musk cited the necessity of this measure to counter the persistent presence of bots on the platform.
Addressing inquiries about X’s policy for newly created accounts, Musk emphasized that imposing a nominal fee on new users is crucial in tackling the ongoing issue of bot activity.
According to Musk, new users will gain free posting privileges after a three-month period.
He stated, “Unfortunately, a small fee for new user write access is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.”
Musk further explained that the current capabilities of AI and troll farms make it easy for fake accounts to bypass standard bot detection methods.
Moreover, the proliferation of fake accounts occupies valuable username space, resulting in many desirable handles being unavailable.
This announcement follows Musk’s introduction of a $1 per year charge for new users in New Zealand and the Philippines on October 17, 2023.
The fee was implemented to grant users from these regions access to essential features such as tweeting, retweeting, liking posts, and engaging in post replies.
