X, the service formerly known as Twitter, is testing a new subscription service for new and unverified accounts to sign up for a $1 annual subscription to be able to post & interact with other posts. The service will only not affect existing users.
The “Not A Bot” service was created to “successful efforts to reduce spam, manipulation of our platform and bot activity, while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee amount.” The company added that this service “is not a profit driver.”
Starting today, we're testing a new program (Not A Bot) in New Zealand and the Philippines. New, unverified accounts will be required to sign up for a $1 annual subscription to be able to post & interact with other posts. Within this test, existing users are not affected.
This…
— Support (@Support) October 17, 2023
In a support article, the company explained that “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.”
It’s unclear how this test will affect potential new users but for me, as a rule of thumb, if an online service have been free for a long time charging to use the said service will be a big no for me.