New users on X, formerly known as Twitter, in both New Zealand and the Philippines, are now required to pay an annual fee of $1 to tweet, retweet, and comment. Elon Musk, the owner of X, announced this move on October 18, 2023, with the goal of curbing spam, manipulation, and bot activity on the platform.
In a statement, Musk explained, “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 and interact with other posts. Existing users are not affected by this test.” The initiative aims to strike a balance between accessibility and reducing unwanted activities on the platform, rather than being a profit driver.
Apparently, this means that new accounts in both countries will need to subscribe, while those who opt not to subscribe can only read content, watch videos, and follow accounts.
Musk, who acquired Twitter for $44 billion last year, has been making significant changes to the platform. This includes introducing fees for verification badges, allowing publishers to charge for their content, and implementing two-factor authentication for users with blue badges. Additionally, Twitter rebranded to X earlier this year, marking a significant shift in its identity.
In conclusion, these changes have not been without controversy, as they also led to layoffs at Twitter, causing uncertainty among the platform’s employees. However, the move to introduce a subscription fee for new users in these two countries is aimed at improving the overall quality of interactions and content on the platform.
written by @enock katamba
- Enock Katamba is a Ugandan Journalist and Founder of Uncovered UG, an independent digital news platform covering Uganda and international developments. He reports on politics, national affairs, entertainment, sports, business, education and other stories of public interest.
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