Elon Musk, the CEO of the popular social network X (Twitter), has announced plans to implement a fee for new users wishing to post content. This move is aimed at addressing the persistent problem of automated bots on the platform.
Musk responded to an X Daily News’ post about website changes, stating that charging new accounts is the “only way” to effectively combat the “onslaught of bots” plaguing the social media site. He pointed out that current artificial intelligence and troll farms can easily bypass traditional bot detection measures such as CAPTCHA.
In a further clarification, Musk mentioned that new accounts would have the ability to post after a three-month period without having to pay the proposed fee. However, he did not provide specific details on when this policy would be implemented or the exact cost for new users.
This announcement follows a precedent set by the platform last October when it started charging unverified new users in the Philippines and New Zealand a small annual fee of $1. Users from these countries could view content but were restricted from interacting with it unless they paid the fee. It’s possible that a similar fee structure could be introduced in other regions.
Earlier this month, X initiated a clean-up operation to remove spam accounts from the platform and warned users that their follower counts might see a reduction. By potentially charging new users, X is looking to further enhance its strategy to deter the creation of bot accounts.
Source: TechCrunch