Musk's X Tests $1-a-Year Subscription to Reduce Spam, Bot Accounts
- Subscription plan starts off in New Zealand, Philippines
- ‘It’s the only way to fight bots,’ X owner Musk says
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X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, began testing a $1-per-year subscription fee for new accounts on the web that want to post or interact with other users, saying the measure has the potential to reduce spam, automated bot accounts and manipulation of its service.
The test, called “Not a Bot,” rolled out in New Zealand and the Philippines, X said in a blog post Tuesday. New users who don’t pay the fee won’t be able to take certain actions on the site, including writing posts, liking, replying or bookmarking.