X, previously known as Twitter, has initiated a charging system for new users in New Zealand and the Philippines, requiring them to pay for accessing basic features of the platform. The company plans to implement this annual fee for all new users worldwide in the future.
During this trial phase, the annual charge is set at roughly $0.75 for new Filipino users and $0.85 for New Zealanders. This fee allows users to post and interact on the X platform.
However, if users choose not to pay the fee, their activities will be limited to reading posts, viewing videos, and following other accounts, as outlined by the company.
X explained the rationale behind this move, emphasizing that the fee will serve as a deterrent to bot and spam activities on the platform. The company said, “The introduction of this potentially effective measure will enable us to strike a balance between the accessibility of the platform and the nominal fee.”
Since billionaire Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter last year for a whopping $44 billion, the platform has seen numerous controversial alterations. Several notable changes include mass layoffs, reduced content moderation, and the decision to offer the blue tick verification symbol to any user willing to pay an $8 annual fee.
The transformation didn’t stop there; in July, the platform underwent a rebranding phase, adopting the name X and abandoning its iconic blue bird logo.
With this new user fee, X aims to fortify its existing measures against spam, malicious platform manipulation, and bot activity. Notably, current users from New Zealand and the Philippines remain unaffected by this change.
Additionally, a recent report from Reuters highlighted a statement from X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino. She mentioned the company’s intention to experiment with a three-tiered subscription model, varying the fee based on the number of ads a user sees.
In a previous declaration in September, Musk had proposed an annual subscription model as an effective tool against bots, which are often employed to artificially boost specific political messages or spread racial hatred.
