Popular social media platform X, formerly Twitter said that it is rolling out a new program 'Not A Bot' in New Zealand and the Philippines.
Starting Wednesday, new, unverified accounts in the two countries will be required to sign up for a $1 annual subscription to be able to post and interact with other posts.
"Within this test, existing users are not affected," the Elon Musk-owned company said in a post.
"This new test was developed to bolster our already successful efforts to reduce spam, manipulation of our platform and bot activity while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee amount. It is not a profit driver," X said, adding "And so far, subscription options have proven to be the main solution that works at scale."
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.
October 17, 2023
This…Twitter Annual Subscription: What Is 'Not A Bot' Program?
X said that new users who opt out of subscribing will only be able to take “read-only” actions, such as reading posts, watching videos and following accounts.
"This new program aims to defend against bots and spammers who attempt to manipulate the platform and disrupt the experience of other X users. We look forward to sharing more about the results soon," the company said.
Here's how this new test will work for new accounts on web in New Zealand and the Philippines:
Step One: Phone Verification
New accounts created on X, in these two countries, will first be required to verify their phone number.
Step Two: Select Your Subscription Plan
$1 USD Annual Fee (prices vary by country and currency). New users will be able to perform certain actions on the web version of the platform: post content, Like posts, Reply, Repost and Quote other accounts' posts, and Bookmark posts.
Pricing
New Zealand: $1.43 NZD per year
Philippines: ₱42.51 PHP per year
For more details, users can visit X help center.
According to a Bloomberg report, the San Francisco-based company has been on the hunt for new revenue sources since billionaire Elon Musk's chaotic takeover last year, which saddled it with $13 billion in debt and drove away advertisers concerned about loosening content-safety rules.
X owes about $1.2 billion in interest payments per year on its acquisition-related debt, Bloomberg earlier estimated. To reinvigorate growth, X plans to test three tiers of its premium service, and will launch additional features that could generate revenue such as shopping and payments, Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino told bankers earlier this month.
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