In a bid to combat the persistent issue of bots on the social media platform X, Elon Musk has proposed a new policy that would require new users to pay a small fee to be able to post content.
This announcement comes after X began a major purge of spam accounts earlier this month. Elon Musk claims that current methods, such as CAPTCHAs, are easily bypassed by AI and “troll farms” operating large networks of fake accounts.
The proposed fee would only apply to new users, who would be granted the ability to post for free after three months on the platform. Specific details regarding the fee amount and implementation timeline have not yet been announced.
This policy change has led to debate among X users. Some argue that a paywall could stifle free speech and go against the platform’s original open-access nature.
In response to a suggestion for computationally expensive alternatives to a fee, Elon Musk stated such methods would be “way harder than paying a tiny fee.”
This is not the first time X has experimented with user fees. Last year, the platform implemented a $1 annual fee for new, unverified users in New Zealand and the Philippines, restricting their ability to interact with content until payment.
It remains to be seen whether the proposed fee for new X users will be implemented and, if so, how effective it will be in tackling the bot problem. The policy has yet to receive an official rollout date or details on the fee amount.
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