Canadian X users may soon have to pay a fee to post and repost
Canadians who use X may soon have to pay a fee to post on the social media site.
On Tuesday, the platform announced that it has begun testing “Not A Bot,” a new subscription plan that requires new, unverified accounts to pay an annual fee of US$1 to be able to post and repost, among other things.
The program, which aims to reduce bot activity on the platform, is currently being tested on X 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,” reads a post from X Support.
“It is not a profit driver. And so far, subscription options have proven to be the main solution that works at scale.”
Starting today, we’re testing a new program (Not A Bot) in New Zealand and the Philippines. New, unverified accounts will be required to sign up for a $1 annual subscription to be able to post & interact with other posts. Within this test, existing users are not affected.
This…
— Support (@Support) October 17, 2023
The Elon Musk-owned social media platform says existing users are not affected by the test.
How it works
According to a press release from X, new accounts created on the platform in New Zealand and the Philippines will first be required to verify their phone number.
Users will then be prompted to select from the following subscription plans:
- Not a Bot — New users will be able to post content, like posts, reply, repost, quote other accounts’ posts, and bookmark posts ($1 annual fee with prices varying by country and currency)
- X Premium — Adds a blue checkmark to your account and allows you to edit posts ($8 a month or $84 a year)
- Verified organizations — Allows organizations, businesses, non-profits, and government institutions to manage their verification and to affiliate and verify any related account ($1,000 a month)
New X users who don’t subscribe will only be able to read posts, watch videos and follow accounts.
“This new program aims to defend against bots and spammers who attempt to manipulate the platform and disrupt the experience of other X users,” reads the news release. “We look forward to sharing more about the results soon.”
Musk teased the subscription plan in September in a live-streamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The topic came up as the Tesla CEO and prime minister discussed ways to prevent fake accounts from spreading antisemitism and hate speech on the social media platform.
Follow Channels and Categories