X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has begun rolling out a US$1 annual charge to new users in New Zealand and the Philippines in a move the service owned by Elon Musk says is aimed at combating bots.
"Read for free, but $1/year to write. It's the only way to fight bots without blocking real users. This won't stop bots completely, but it will be 1000X harder to manipulate the platform" X said in the post.
New accounts created in New Zealand and the Philippines will first be required to verify their phone number, and then pay the US$1 annual fee to be able to post, like, reply, repost, quote posts and bookmark.
“This new program aims to defend against bots and spammers who attempt to manipulate the platform and disrupt the experience of other X users. We look forward to sharing more about the results soon,” the post said.