X owner Elon Musk has plans to make new users of the social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, pay for the privilege of posting.
In the days when X was still Twitter — that is, before Musk was forced to buy it in October 2022, then renaming it X in the summer of 2023 — much of the platform’s features were entirely free. Since then, more and more of its utilities have disappeared behind the paywall.
Most notably, users can now pay for blue checkmark verification, which had been granted free by Twitter staff to celebrities, journalists, and other public figures after confirming their verified identities. Other once-free tools are now part of the platform’s premium version.
Will posting on X soon cost?
In a post on X (fittingly), Musk has now suggested another soon-to-be-paid feature: posting. The account X Daily News shared evidence that X might charge users before they can reply, like, or bookmark a post, a policy that was previously only active in New Zealand and the Philippines.
Replying to the post, Musk confirmed that this could indeed be on the cards, arguing that the policy is born out of a need to combat AI-powered bots.
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.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 15, 2024
“Unfortunately, a small fee for new user write access is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots,” the CEO wrote. “Current AI (and troll farms) can pass ‘are you a bot’ with ease.”
In another post, Musk went on to clarify that new users will be able to post for free after three months of being on the platform, reiterating that the pay-to-post policy would only apply to new users.
Bots – automated systems that mimic human activity online – are indeed an ongoing problem for the platform. The Guardian recently shared a report of analysis covering one million posts on X, highlighting that bots are “a bigger problem than ever.” Cracking down on bots was supposedly one of Musk’s main reasons for offering to buy and take control of Twitter back in 2022, a deal he attempted to walk out on but ultimately completed after being taken to court by Twitter’s board.
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