Sarah Travers
Elon Musk’s social media endeavor, known as X, is taking a bold step to address the growing problem of spam and fake accounts on its platform. In a bid to tackle this issue, the company has initiated a test program that charges new users in the Philippines and New Zealand a nominal $1 fee upon sign-up. The move is part of Musk’s ongoing efforts to transform the platform, formerly known as Twitter.
The program, aptly named “Not a Bot,” is designed to target new and unverified accounts, with the objective of reducing spam, manipulation, and bot activity on the platform. However, it’s worth noting that this fee will not apply to existing users.
The choice of New Zealand and the Philippines for this trial is somewhat mysterious, as the company hasn’t disclosed the specific reasons for selecting these two countries. Nevertheless, X has clarified that the test is not driven by profit but rather aims to strike a balance between maintaining platform accessibility and mitigating unwanted activities.
Elon Musk’s takeover of X approximately a year ago has brought about a series of significant changes, including a complete rebranding of the platform. These changes, notably the reduction in the content moderation team, have sparked concerns among external watchdog groups about the proliferation of misinformation on the platform. The issue escalated during the Israel-Hamas conflict, shedding light on the importance of combating fake accounts and spam.
Musk had previously explored premium subscriptions as a strategy to bolster the platform’s revenue. One of the initial measures was the revamp of the blue check verification system, introducing a service that granted verification to users willing to pay $8 per month. However, this move faced challenges when a surge of impostor accounts led to the temporary suspension of the service shortly after its launch.
Under the current test, new subscribers in the Philippines and New Zealand who pay the $1 fee will gain access to essential functions such as posting content, liking, bookmarking, and engaging with posts from other accounts. In contrast, new users who choose not to subscribe will be limited to reading posts, watching videos, and following other accounts.
The outcome of this trial will be closely monitored as X seeks to strike the right balance between user accessibility and maintaining a spam-free and trustworthy platform. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the measures taken by Elon Musk and his team at X will undoubtedly play a role in shaping the future of social media platforms.
