X Takes on Bots: New Zealand and Philippines Users Pay $1 Subscription

X, formerly known as Twitter, has embarked on a bold initiative to combat the growing menace of bots and spammers on its platform.

The company, now owned by Elon Musk, recently rolled out a new subscription plan in New Zealand and the Philippines, requiring new users to pay a mere US$1 per year for access to essential functions like tweeting, replying, retweeting, and liking.

The move, dubbed ‘Not A Bot,’ is designed to fortify X’s ongoing efforts to curb spam, manipulation, and bot activity. New users in these countries must first verify their phone numbers and then pay the nominal fee to post, like, reply, repost, quote posts, and bookmark.

Those who opt out of subscribing will be restricted to “read-only” actions, such as reading posts, watching videos, and following accounts.

Elon Musk, who has been at the helm of X, explained the rationale behind this strategy. Bots, he noted, are inexpensive to set up, costing only a fraction of a penny.

By imposing a nominal fee, X aims to deter bot operators and make it more challenging for them to create multiple accounts.

This move is a part of Musk’s broader vision for transforming X into an all-encompassing app, including payment services.

Musk has been exploring alternative revenue sources as ad revenue declined by 60% due to advertiser boycotts and concerns over content management.

As the ‘Not A Bot’ program unfolds, it holds the potential to revolutionize the fight against bots and spammers, making social media a safer and more authentic space for users. X is eager to assess the program’s effectiveness and may consider expanding it to all users in the future.