X/Twitter to Charge $1 per Year for Users to Post/Tweet

X, formerly Twitter announced this week that it will begin charging new users a $1 annual subscription fee to join the platform in New Zealand and the Philippines. The new program, called "Not A Bot," is part of Twitter's efforts to reduce spam and bot activity on its platform.

Under the new rules, new users signing up through Twitter's website in these two countries will have to enter payment information and pay a $1 subscription fee. New users will also be required to verify their account with a phone number. Those who do not pay will have read-only access, meaning they can view tweets but not post their own content.

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

X’s post doesn’t explain why the new $1 subscription is only for new users joining via the web and not the mobile app, or why Not a Bot is only being rolled out in two countries. 

A guess would be that X has seen more bot activity from these regions than others and that it’s much easier to create a bunch of fake accounts via the website. “New users who opt out of subscribing will only be able to take ‘read only’ actions,” such as viewing posts and watching videos, according to the company.

Correct, 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.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 18, 2023

This is in addition to Twitter's existing $8 per month Twitter Blue subscription that offers verified checkmarks and other premium features. Twitter owner Elon Musk has stated that charging for subscriptions will help reduce spam bots on the platform.

Critics argue the move could limit Twitter's reach, especially in developing countries. But Musk claims time spent on Twitter is at an all-time high, suggesting the platform's popularity remains strong.

It remains to be seen whether the $1 fee will be implemented more widely. For now, the rule change affects only new users in New Zealand and the Philippines joining Twitter on the web.