X introduces $1 subscription for simple features like ‘tweet’ And ‘retweet ‘
The social media site stated that the goal is to "reduce spam, platform manipulation, and bot activity."
As part of a new trial, Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, has begun charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 a year to access essential features.
They consist of tweeting, retweeting, like, and commenting on posts.
Those who choose not to pay the monthly price will only be able to read posts, watch videos, and follow accounts.
The social media site stated that the goal is to “reduce spam, platform manipulation, and bot activity.”
Although Musk has stated that “read only” accounts, which do not have critical features, will still be free to create, new accounts will still need to authenticate their phone number.
The CEO of X, Tesla, and SpaceX hinted last month that all X users could need to pay for access.
Twitter’s income has been declining steadily ever since Mr. Musk purchased it for $44 billion last year. The controversial billionaire has stated that asking customers to pay for the service is intended to combat bots, even though there is an obvious financial incentive for the company to charge consumers.
A bot may be made for “a fraction of a penny,” according to him in the past. “But if somebody even has to pay a few dollars or something, some minor amount, the effective cost to bots is very high” he asserted, as reported by BBC News.
X Premium
Longer posts and more visibility on the site are now paid-for extras available to X Premium customers of an upgraded service.
At the moment, X Premium in the US costs $8 per month. X is still available to other users for free, however the cost varies based on which nation a member is located in.
Placing X behind a paywall carries the risk of the platform losing a significant portion of its consumers. The company’s current primary source of income, advertising revenue, could consequently decline as a result.
The company has recently been under investigation by the European Union for the potential dissemination of terrorist, violent, and hateful content following Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Additionally, it was penalised by Australia’s internet safety commission for its lack of cooperation during an investigation into anti-child abuse policies.
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