Elon Musk, the chief executive officer of the social media platform X, announced on Monday that new users would be required to pay for posting.
Musk emphasized that this measure is necessary to address the proliferation of bots on the platform, which has led to the scarcity of desirable usernames.
“Unfortunately, a small fee for new user write access is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots,” Musk stated in response to a post about X’s policy on new accounts.
He highlighted the challenge of distinguishing between bots and genuine users, stating, “Current AI (and troll farms) can pass ‘are you a bot’ with ease.”
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Musk further explained that the influx of fake accounts has resulted in the exhaustion of available usernames, making it difficult for users to secure preferred handles.
He noted, “The onslaught of fake accounts also uses up the available namespace, so many good handles are taken as a result.”
In response to inquiries about the new policy, Musk clarified that new users would initially be required to pay, but they would gain the ability to post for free after three months of membership.
Last year, X implemented a similar strategy by charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 per year for access to key features such as tweeting, retweeting, liking posts, and replying to posts. This initiative aimed to reduce spam, platform manipulation, and bot activity.
Additionally, Musk revealed on April 4 that efforts were underway to clean X of bot accounts and trolls, which may result in the suspension of legitimate accounts. He assured that the platform would take legal action against those responsible for violations.