If You Wish To Send Tweets, X (Twitter) Is Going To Charge $1 Dollar A Year

Post quite a few speculative weeks, X has officially announced its intentions to introduce a subscription-based service for new users on what was formerly known as Twitter. The company has unveiled the new subscription model, dubbed "Not a Bot," and is currently conducting trials of this service in New Zealand and the Philippines.

The subscription, as initially reported by Fortune, mandates new users to pay a nominal annual fee of approximately $1 USD to gain the privilege of posting on the platform. X, in its announcement on Tuesday, 17th October, stated, "Starting today, we're testing a new program (Not A Bot) in New Zealand and the Philippines...This new test was developed to bolster our already successful efforts to reduce spam, manipulation of our platform and bot activity, while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee amount. It is not a profit driver."

Under this new arrangement, new users are required to verify their phone numbers and pay the $1 fee, granting them access to core features such as tweeting, retweeting, bookmarking, and liking. Users who opt not to pay will be limited to a "read-only" mode on X.

It's important to note that this fee structure will not apply to existing users, and X has emphasized that this move is not primarily profit-driven. However, some observers speculate that this initial test could pave the way for X to eventually charge all its users.

As per a report in engadget, Elon Musk, during a livestreamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hinted at the possibility of implementing mandatory payments as part of an anti-bot and anti-spam strategy.

In a post from its support account, X explained, "Subscription options have proven to be the most effective scalable solution." Musk's previous comments on this topic were met with mixed reactions, and rival platform Bluesky witnessed increased activity following his statements.

Furthermore, there have been reports suggesting Musk's long-term ambitions to access user credit card and billing information, aligning with his broader plan to introduce financial services on X.

Apparently, Musk's desire to enroll subscribers is closely linked to his vision of creating an "everything app," and he expressed frustration upon discovering that Apple does not share credit card details of users who sign up through their iPhones.

At the time of this report, X had not responded to requests for comments on these developments.