Using X to Identify Bots: An Investigation into the How a Social Platform Discriminates, Promotes and Haradense Anti-Bot Activities

A $1 fee will be charged to use X in the Philippines and New Zealand, according to Musk who says it is to curb the presence of bots on the site.

X already has a subscription of $8 a month. There is no doubt that charging will impede bot armies, though it is estimated that a very, very small percentage of users are paying. Meanwhile, he has been bragging about how time spent on X has never been higher.

(Confusingly, the “Not A Bot” terms and conditions indicate that people will be able to also subscribe from X’s iOS and Android apps, even though the main post on X’s help center only specifies web.)

X’s handling of disinformation and illegal content on the site since the war started has led to an investigation by the European Commission. Under the Digital Services Act, social platforms are responsible for quickly removing illegal content such as hate speech, violence and misinformation. Failing to do could trigger fees equivalent to 6% of a company’s annual global revenue.

Some users will take advantage of misleading posts in order to earn money off of them, which is why they pay for a subscription to the service.

The X-Mums to Charge Filipinos and New Zealanders $1 to Use Platform [Musk’s X to charge users in Philippines and new zealand-1 to use platform]

The Israel-Gaza war has tested X in new ways. Since the violence erupted, a flood of bogus claims, unsubstantiated rumors and other falsehoods have inundated the platform.

Linda Yaccarino is the new CEO of X, and she recently said that the company could be profitable by early next year.

New figures from web traffic tracking firm SimilarWeb show that global web traffic to the site is down 14% compared to last year. The platform, which is used by about 25% of the web traffic in the US, experienced a 20% decline in traffic compared to last year.

The company has beenstruggling financially as a result of the changes made under the billionaire that caused new levels of chaos and havoc on the site.

Since Musk’s takeover, he has made a lot of changes, including reducing staff and also making blue check marks available for $8 a month.

Cracking down on bots, also known as spam or fake accounts, that mimic real people, has been a focus of Musk since he purchased the platform last year. But despite his best efforts, bots do still remain a persistent problem.

Source: Musk’s X to charge users in Philippines and New Zealand $1 to use platform

The Not a Bot Program: A Free Social Media Site to Discriminate Between Fake Accounts and Fake Content on the Web without a Charge

It’s not clear why annual fees were started in the Philippines and New Zealand. It’s not known if the initiative will reach users around the world. The $1-a-year fee plan was first reported by Fortune.

If the annual fees for using the site are applied more widely, it would mark a major departure for the social media service, which has been free to use since it was founded in 2006.

The idea is that by charging “a few dollars or something” it could deter the creation of new fake accounts since bots just cost “a fraction of a penny” to create, Musk told Netanyahu.

Musk hinted at a paywall in the works for users of X in a September interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming that it may be the only way “to combat vast armies of bots.”

The company announced the program, called Not a Bot, late Tuesday, saying the annual fee will apply to new users who want to post, like, reply and quote other content on the platform. The site will allow you to read posts without a charge.