No X Yet? Then Prepare to Pay!

Elon Musk strikes again with another surprising move, but what’s new, right? This week, X (formerly Twitter) announced that new users of his social media platform will have to pay an annual fee of $1 to use the app. This bold move is aimed at reducing the presence of bot and spam accounts on the platform.

Smart Move or Downfall?

Finally, no more annoying spambots! According to Elon Musk, this financial barrier is a perfect way to keep bot and spam accounts at bay on his social platform X. This is because they would have to pay for every created account. Now, this idea is becoming a reality as X initiates a live test in New Zealand and the Philippines. New, unverified accounts in these regions will need to pay $1 to access the app’s full features. Is this a clever move that will attract users, or will it lead to more users abandoning the platform?

Questions arise

We view this as a bold step to reduce bot and spam accounts on the platform, but there are still many questions. For marketers and brands, this could mean more genuine interactions with real users, although there is a risk of a decline in the user base due to the access barrier. However, if this proves successful, many other social channels may follow suit. Will this potentially mark the end of bot and spam accounts despite the need to pay for social media usage, or will they find new ways to infiltrate social media platforms?