Elon Musk Reveals Plans to Charge New Users a “Small Fee” Before Posting on X: Here’s Why!

Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly known as Twitter), has unveiled plans to start charging new users an annual fee for the ability to write, like, reply, or bookmark posts on the platform. This initiative, confirmed by Musk, aims to reduce spam across X.

The details regarding how long users will be subjected to this fee remain unclear, but it is anticipated to be a recurring yearly charge. The conversation about this development started when @xDaily, a news account for the platform, shared a post from a code tracker @xUpdatesRadar, who discovered hints of this new charging policy in the web version's code.

New X Users to be Charged Small Fee

Musk responded to the speculation by stating, "Unfortunately, a small fee for new user write access is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots. Current AI (and troll farms) can pass 'are you a bot' with ease."

The move is also motivated by the need to free up desirable usernames, which are often occupied by fake accounts. The specifics of the policy were found in a block of text that read, "New accounts are required to pay a small annual fee before you're able to post, like, bookmark, and reply.

This is to reduce spam and to create a better experience for everyone. You can still follow accounts and browse X for free." It was further revealed that this policy had been tested in New Zealand and the Philippines.

New Features and Global Expansions

Apart from tackling spam, X has been expanding its features and accessibility. The platform has recently made Passkey support available on its iOS app for users worldwide. This update emphasizes the platform's commitment to enhancing user experience and security.

Furthermore, X is now allowing Indian users to become contributors for Community Notes, a feature aiming to improve information accuracy and reliability on the platform. Additionally, X Premium and X Premium+ are now available for free under certain conditions, although these specifics were not elaborated upon.

Challenges

The announcement about charging new users has received mixed reactions from X's community. Some users view it as a regrettable but necessary step to combat the issue of bots and spam.

However, concerns about the effectiveness of this strategy have been raised, especially considering that entities behind bots and spam, such as bot farmers and professional trolls, may not be deterred by the fee due to their financial resources.