Twitter/X now charges a $1 annual fee to allow new accounts to post

Twitter/X has announced a new $1 annual fee for all new users in New Zealand and the Philippines, effective immediately. While not technically required, anyone who refuses to speak up will be disqualified from posting, replying, reposting, quoting, bookmarking, or even ” “Like” to mark.

It may not be a significant amount, but the idea of ​​paying for Twitter/X at all is likely to turn more than a few people off the platform.

“Starting today we are testing a new program (Not A Bot) in New Zealand and the Philippines.” The official Twitter/X support account posted on Tuesday evening. “New, unverified accounts must sign up for a $1 annual subscription to post and interact with other posts.”

Under the new one Not a bot program, Twitter/X users in New Zealand and the Philippines who create a new account will now be required to verify their phone number. They will then be asked to choose from three subscription plans: an X Premium plan for $8 per month (formerly known as Twitter Blue), a Verified Organization plan for $1,000 per month, or the new annual fee of $1 per year.

That’s 1.43 NZD in New Zealand or 42.51 PHP in the Philippines.

If you decline, you can still create a Twitter/X account. You simply can’t do anything other than follow accounts and scroll when using Twitter/X in your web browser, which locks you into lurker status.

The tweet may have been deleted

The tweet may have been deleted

Luckily, existing users won’t be charged for the accounts they already have, so anyone still on the Hellside can continue tweeting on their computer without revealing their payment details to Elon Musk’s Vanity Project.

Unfortunately, this new program does not bode well for the future of Twitter/X as a free platform. Last month, Musk announced his intention to charge absolutely everyone a mandatory fee for using Twitter/X, described at the time as a “small monthly payment.” Charging a fee for new users is one step closer to that reality and is a good indication that Musk’s plan could be implemented, although CEO Linda Yaccarino clearly had no idea about it just three weeks ago.

Twitter/X claims the Not A Bot test is “not a profit driver” and is aimed at reducing spam, platform manipulation and bots.

“This evaluates a potentially effective measure that will help us combat bots and spammers

It’s true that a $1 annual fee is unlikely to have any impact on Twitter/X’s troubled finances, although the company needs all the help it can get at this point. In May, the platform was worth about a third of the $44 billion Musk had reluctantly paid for it, as both users and advertisers had abandoned the platform.

However, many Twitter/X users have pointed out that there is also a $1 annual fee unlikely Deter bots, many of whom already pay the $8 monthly fee for X Premium. The new fee requirement is also likely to discourage real people from registering on the platform.

However, from a certain perspective, it might actually be doing them a favor.

The tweet may have been deleted

The tweet may have been deleted

The tweet may have been deleted