Fresh on X or Twitter? To publish or respond to other people, you will need to pay

Elon Musk, the creator of the social media site X, previously known as Twitter, has made an unexpected announcement about a new policy that would charge new users to post on the site. This move is a reaction to the ongoing issue of bot accounts, which continue to interfere with legitimate user interaction on the site.

The Issue with Bots on X
On social networking sites like X, bots carry out automatic operations like liking, resharing, and even messaging without the need for human interaction. This distorts user experience in general as well as engagement numbers. In response, Musk said on X, “Unfortunately, the only way to stop the unrelenting onslaught of bots is to charge a small fee for new user write access.” “Are you a bot?” tests can be easily passed by current AI (and troll farms).

There has previously been a pricing system in place in places like the Philippines and New Zealand, where unconfirmed users had to pay $1 (about ₹83) year to engage with postings.

Application and Effect
Musk made this measure to further enhance the platform’s legitimacy, even though he did not say when or how much the new charge will cost internationally. Musk said last week that millions of bot accounts were going to be suspended as part of a massive cleaning effort. “System purge of bots & trolls underway,” he said. If you see any genuine accounts suspended, please respond to me or @Xeng. X Corp will track out the guilty parties and apply the full weight of the law on them.

Advertiser and User Reactions
Advertisers, who want genuine human interactions in return for their money, are just as concerned about the rise of bots as consumers are. By taking this action, the platform may reassure users of its dedication to retaining a legitimate user base.

X’s Future
Musk’s strategy is in line with his continuous criticism of Twitter’s prior management for how it handled bots, a point he brought up when he acquired the business in 2022. Musk is committed to improving the user experience and making sure that real user engagement—rather than artificial bot activity—is reflected in the platform’s growth metrics, which is why he is taking these daring actions.

The monetary component of these modifications is probably going to affect how new users see the benefits of signing up for the site. By charging a charge, X is creating a precedent that may effectively discourage spam and bots or restrict the number of new users that may sign up. It remains to be seen how this tactic will affect the social media scene.

X is still committed to establishing a safer and more pleasurable social media environment, even as it navigates these developments. If effective, this approach may become the norm for other systems facing comparable problems. It will be crucial to keep an eye on how user growth and platform integrity are balanced as this tale progresses, since this will ultimately determine how successful Musk’s stint as the head of X was.