New X users might need to pay a fee before posting online

Elon Musk is considering implementing a small fee for new users on the social media network X (formerly known as Twitter), to enable posting and address the bot problem, according to recent announcements. In response to a post discussing changes on X's website, Musk proposed charging a small fee for new accounts as the "only way" to combat the "onslaught of bots."

Referring to tools such as CAPTCHA, Musk added, "Current AI (and troll farms) can easily pass 'are you a bot' with ease." Further engaging with users, Musk later clarified that new accounts would gain posting privileges after three months without paying a fee.

As is often the case with X-related announcements, specific details regarding the implementation timeline and the fee structure for new users remain undisclosed.

Last October, X introduced a USD 1 per year fee for new unverified users in New Zealand and the Philippines. Users from these regions were restricted to only reading posts. They could only interact with content, such as posting, liking, reposting, replying, bookmarking, and quoting, after paying the fee.

Earlier this month, X took initiative to eliminate accounts related to spam, notifying users that their follower counts might be impacted. The move to charge new users appears to be part of the platform's broader strategy to combat the issue of bots more effectively.

While Musk has talked about combating AI bots, X updated its policy last year to allow public posts to be used for training machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence models.