Elon Musk is planning to charge new X users a small fee to enable posting on the social network and to curb the bot problem.
In reply to an X account that posted about changes on X’s website, Musk said charging a small fee to new accounts was the “only way” to stop the “onslaught of bots.”
“Current AI (and troll farms) can pass ‘are you a bot’ with ease,” Musk said, referring to tools like CAPTCHA.
Unfortunately, a small fee for new user write access is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.
Current AI (and troll farms) can pass “are you a bot” with ease.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 15, 2024
While replying to another user, Musk later added that new accounts would be able to post after three months of creation without paying a fee.
That is way harder than paying a tiny fee.
This is only for new users. They will be able to do write actions for free after 3 months.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 15, 2024
As is the case with a lot of announcements related to the social platform, there are no details at the moment about when this policy will be applicable and what fees new users might have to pay.
Last October, X started charging new unverified users $1 per year in New Zealand and the Philippines. New free users signing up for the platform from these regions could read the posts but couldn’t interact with them. To post content, like, repost, reply, bookmark and quote posts, they had to pay a fee. Musk might apply a fee similar to other regions.
Earlier this month, X said that the platform was starting a major purge of spam accounts, warning users that their follower count might be affected. However, with a plan to charge new users, the social media company seemingly aims to tackle the bot problem better.
Today, we're kicking off a significant, proactive initiative to eliminate accounts that violate our Rules against platform manipulation and spam. While we aim for accuracy in the accounts we remove, we're casting a wide net to ensure X remains secure and free of bots. As a…
— Safety (@Safety) April 4, 2024
While Musk has talked about battling AI bots, last year, X updated its policy to include a clause that public posts could be used to train machine learning algorithms or artificial intelligence models. Separately, in July 2023, Musk said that his AI company xAI would use public posts to train models.
Earlier this month, xAI made its Grok chatbot available to Premium users of X, who pay $8 per month. The chatbot was previously available to users paying $16 per month for the Premium+ tier. Last week, Fortune reported that X plans to make Grok available to users to compose posts.
FAQs
Image Credits: TechCrunch
Do new X users have to pay? ›
New users of Elon Musk-owned X may have to pay "a small annual fee" before they'll be able to post, like, bookmark and respond to other users of the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Will X start charging all new users a small fee? ›
X is planning to start charging all new users a “small fee” in order to interact with posts, the social media site's owner, Elon Musk, has said.
Does X charge new users? ›
New unverified users are required to pay a small annual fee before you're able to perform any write actions on web, including posting, liking, bookmarking, and replying. This is to reduce bots and spam to make the experience better for everyone. You can still follow accounts and browse X for free,” a message reads.
How much is the new X account fee? ›
Under X's “Not a Bot” program, which was launched in New Zealand and the Philippines in October last year, all new accounts are charged a $1 annual fee if they want to “perform any write actions” in the app.
Can I still use X without paying? ›
Standard functionality like posting media, creating polls, and using hashtags still apply. Everyone will be able to read longer posts, but only Premium subscribers can create them.
Why do I have to pay to post on X? ›
The billionaire said that this fee would help the company to defeat the bot problem. In reply to an X post shared from the account X Daily News, Musk said charging a small fee to new accounts is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.
Will everyone have to pay for X? ›
Musk says X will charge everyone to use the platform
He has blamed the company's ad challenges on civil rights and consumer groups putting pressure on big brands.
Why is X charging users? ›
Elon Musk is planning to charge new X users a small fee to enable posting on the social network and to curb the bot problem. In reply to an X account that posted about changes on X's website, Musk said charging a small fee to new accounts was the “only way” to stop the “onslaught of bots.”
Is it free to have an X account? ›
X Basic is the entry-level paid tier. Priced at $3 a month or $32 a year, X Basic offers the following benefits over the free version: Edit a Post: You have 30 minutes in which you can edit a post after sending it. Undo a Post: You can retract a post after you send it but before other people have a chance to read it.
New accounts are required to pay a small annual fee before you're able to post, like, bookmark, and reply. This is to reduce spam and create a better experience for everyone. You can still follow accounts and browse X for free.
Is X no longer free? ›
He launched a subscription service, and it has been a choice for users until now. But now he has decided that a subscription is mandatory for users to post on X. As per news reports, new X users can share posts for 3 months for free. But after that time period, X users will be charged some amount to share posts on X.
Is X charging a fee to post? ›
X, formerly known as Twitter, will make users to pay post and interact with others, Elon Musk has said. The owner suggested that requiring a “small fee” from users to access the site's central features is the only way to stop it being overtaken by fake and bot accounts.
Can you post on X without a subscription? ›
The move to charge new users for basic features is a significant change for X, which has always been free to use. “New users who opt out of subscribing will only be able to take “read only” actions, such as: Read posts, Watch videos, and Follow accounts,” explained the company.
How much does an X account cost? ›
What is X Premium? X Premium is a premium, opt-in, paid subscription service designed to enhance user experience on the platform. It offers additional features to improve engagement and personalization, with three tiers: Basic: This tier costs $3 a month or $32 a year, giving users access to limited features.
How much does X cost to join? ›
Basic: Starts at $3/month or $32/year on web (or your local pricing and any applicable tax) Premium: Starts at $8/month or $84/year on web (or your local pricing and any applicable tax) Premium+: Starts at $16/month or $168/year on web (or your local pricing and any applicable tax)
Do I have to pay to join X? ›
X Basic is the entry-level paid tier. Priced at $3 a month or $32 a year, X Basic offers the following benefits over the free version: Edit a Post: You have 30 minutes in which you can edit a post after sending it. Undo a Post: You can retract a post after you send it but before other people have a chance to read it.
Does it cost to join X? ›
X Premium is a premium, opt-in, paid subscription service designed to enhance user experience on the platform. It offers additional features to improve engagement and personalization, with three tiers: Basic: This tier costs $3 a month or $32 a year, giving users access to limited features.
Do I have to pay for X now? ›
While some of the features are new to even previous users, X has added certain features behind a paywall. Free users will no longer be able to download videos or experience background video playback. They won't be able to have the privilege of end-to-end encryption for their messages.
Can you join X for free? ›
You might also see the blue Twitter bird logo or the tweet logo, which looks like a feather. An X account is free to set up, but an X Premium account provides extra features for a monthly fee.
