It seems that soon it will be necessary to pay $1 per month to post on X (Twitter). The company has announced that it is testing the new “Not a Bot” Program in New Zealand and the Philippines. New and unverified users will have to pay a $1 monthly subscription fee to use the platform.
This measure aims to combat spam and bots, which makes sense, as many bot owners probably won’t want to pay to use them on X (Twitter). However, this fee could also end up affecting useful bots.
Starting today, we're testing a new program (Not A Bot) in New Zealand and the Philippines. New, unverified accounts will be required to sign up for a $1 annual subscription to be able to post & interact with other posts. Within this test, existing users are not affected.
This…
— Support (@Support) October 17, 2023
It’s worth noting that this measure only applies to NEW and unverified users. Users who already have an account will not be affected for now. If the test is successful, it’s likely that X (Twitter) will expand this policy to other regions, affecting ALL users in the future.
Additionally, according to the text, users who subscribe to X (Twitter) Premium (priced at $8 per month) will not need to pay this additional subscription. Although $1 is cheaper than $8, X (Twitter) Premium offers extra features and the blue verification badge, indicating that you are not a bot/spam account.
On September 19, 2023, The Tech Basic forecasted X’s shift to a paid service for all users. The Tech Basic also anticipated the implementation of a verification system to combat spam and bot activity on X (Twitter). These predictions align with the recent introduction of a $1 monthly fee.
Reaction on X (Twitter) Fee Announcement
The announcement of a $1 monthly fee on X has been met with widespread discontent and strong criticism from users. Many have expressed their dissatisfaction on the X (Twitter) Support handle, sharing negative remarks about the decision.
X’s CEO, Elon Musk, had previously mentioned the possibility of a paid subscription to use the platform, and this announcement confirms that it is being implemented.