X will try to combat bots by testing an annual fee to new users in New Zealand and the Philippines, as reported by Reuters. Coined as a "Not A Bot" subscription plan, it will reportedly charge new users should they want to "interact" with the platform by posting, liking, replying, quoting, or bookmarking posts.
Currently, preexisting X users in the Philippines and New Zealand are unaffected by the tested subscription plan. However, new users who wish to opt out of the subscription plan may still utilize the application. Granted, the non-paying new users can only watch videos, view posts, and follow accounts.
Fortune reports that the change will go live today within the mentioned countries.
X's prices for the "Not a Bot" subscription plan are reportedly $ 1$ annually but will vary per country, depending on the country's exchange rate.
X's latest move is said to combat "bots and spammers," as reported by CNN; X insisted that the subscription will "bolster our already successful efforts to reduce spam, manipulation of our platform, and bot activity, while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee amount," with the added clarification that the price is not intended to be a source of revenue.
CNN also reports that news users may waive the 1$ subscription fee by paying more for the $3.99 monthly premium subscription service X offers.
Elon Musk's and X's Paid Services
X and Elon Musk have long proposed and hinted towards a paid subscription for X users, with a premium subscription currently in place. Last month, Musk reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that since it was the only solution he could think of to deal with large armies of bots, Musk planned to impose a monthly cost for using the X system.
The same report, however, stated that the X owner remained aware that a 'paywall' is not enough to combat bots by saying that there are a lot of criminals who are more than eager and able to pay for phony accounts on the X.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino also reportedly told the company was planning to test out a three-tier subscription service, depending on the amount of ads shown while using the platform.
X Premium Against Misinformation
X premium re-launched on April 1 to supposedly combat spam and scam activity on the platform by creating a 'paywall' against fake accounts but has historically failed. Its November 2022 launch, previously called 'Twitter Blue,' saw the creation of numerous fake accounts that had the once trustworthy blue check-mark.
X, previously Twitter, saw fake accounts impersonating former President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, LeBron James and Nintendo. All statements that posted counterfeit accounts meant to mislead people or take a jab against Elon Musk.
Misinformation, bots, and scammers have long plagued the platform. Prompting Elon Musk and X to continue increasing efforts to prevent these accounts and posts.
EU recently reminded the platform to intensify its efforts and policies, especially during the Israeli-Hamas conflict that flooded the platform with fake posts about the conflict.
