X (Twitter) Imposes $1 Paywall In Two Countries Just To Allow Users To Post
X (Twitter) Imposes $1 Paywall In Two Countries Just To Allow Users To Post
Elon Musk-owned X, formerly Twitter, has been found trialing an annual subscription of $1 just to allow its newly-registered users to perform basic functions, such as posts/reposts (tweets/retweets), replies and likes. Musk has been especially vocal on Twitter’s ‘bot’ problem prior to his acquisition a year ago – and this is one of the tactics that the rebranded social media platform is hoping to fend off spambots.
First reported by Fortune, the plan reveals a $1 (RM4.74) annual fee for new users; and X has subsequently revealed its plans named “Not A Bot“. This is currently undergoing trials in two countries – Philippines and New Zealand. “This new test was developed to bolster our already significant efforts to reduce spam, manipulation of our platform and bot activity,” the support article reads.
Users are to verify their accounts through phone numbers, then proceed to pick a subscription plan – the $1 annual fee that enables all existing function on web version of the platform, or alternatively, X Premium or Verified Organizations. Those who chose not to pay will instead be put into ‘read only’ mode, where they’ll be only allowed to view content and follow accounts.
While the effect of such plans is unclear so far, initial indications point to the platform’s effort at fighting against spams has been ineffective at best. Some has seen this as a way to boost the revenue of the company, as the platform has struggled to find advertisers (and are actively losing them) due to unfriendly policies and increasingly lax moderation efforts to keep hate speech under control.
Source: The Guardian
Pokdepinion: I’m skeptical. At which point would X start nickel-and-diming everything?
