In a bid to combat the persistent bots problem, Elon Musk announced a new policy that may soon come into effect where X will require new users to pay a small fee to post on the platform for the initial period after they join the platform. This decision comes as part of a series of measures aimed at enhancing the authenticity and security of user interactions.
Elon Musk stated that the implementation of a fee for new accounts on X is the “only way” to effectively halt the “onslaught of bots” that have been plaguing the platform. The fee is expected to deter automated accounts, which can easily bypass traditional bot detection systems like CAPTCHA. However, the fee implementation won’t be permanent. While replying to another user, Musk added that new accounts would be able to post for free after three months of creation of their account.
While the exact fee amount and the date of implementation are yet to be disclosed, the move follows a similar strategy that was tested in regions such as the Philippines and New Zealand back in October 2023, where new users were charged a nominal annual fee to gain posting privileges.
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The initiative by Musk has sparked a mix of reactions from the public and industry experts. Some applaud the proactive approach to maintaining the integrity of the platform, while others express concerns about the potential barrier it could create for genuine new users.
X’s commitment to tackling bots extends beyond this measure. The company has also been refining its algorithms and recently purged a significant number of fake accounts, warning users of possible fluctuations in follower counts.
Meanwhile, X recently also launched Community Notes feature in India. Community Notes is a feature on X which is essentially handled by the users of X to fact check information and present other users with the correct context and information in case the displayed post is misleading or is incorrect in terms of facts. Here’s how it works and how you can apply for X Community Notes in India.