New Twitter Program Will Start Charging New Users

The social media platform formerly known as Twitter (now called X) has announced that it is testing a new program that will require new users to pay an annual fee of $1 to use most of the platform's functions, including the ability to Tweet and interact with other users. The "Not a Bot" program will be tested in New Zealand and the Philippines first, and existing users will not be affected. Twitter claims that the move is not meant to be a "profit driver," but is instead intended to combat spam accounts. 

"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," the company wrote on Twitter. "And so far, subscription options have proven to be the main solution that works at scale."

Twitter Users React

Unsurprisingly, the announcement was quickly blasted by users. While Elon Musk believes the move will help to cut down on the spam bots that have quickly inundated the platform, most users remain skeptical. Some have pointed out that spam accounts are already willing to pay for a blue check, so it doesn't seem hard to believe that spam accounts would be willing to pay a small, $1 fee. 

Of course, the move could also push potential users to embrace other social media platforms. The changes to Twitter/X have led to a lot of frustration for current users. In addition to the spam bot problem, the website has lost many of its key advertisers. Advertising still exists on the platform, but the companies paying to advertise on the platform are significantly smaller ones, and their ads seem to appear with much greater frequency than before. There's also the fact that the company's smaller staff has led to bigger problems, including features that routinely break. 

The biggest frustration for users, however, remains the changes to the blue check verification system. Elon Musk viewed the previous system as a status symbol for users, rather than a way of accurately verifying celebrities, journalists, and company accounts. By making the verification system a paid option and giving those accounts priority over others, troll accounts have been been given priority under posts. 

Will New Users Keep Joining Twitter?

All of these changes have resulted in a social media platform that works significantly worse than it did one year ago. These changes have led to users rushing to join alternatives like Mastodon, Hive, and Bluesky. It remains to be seen whether this charge for new accounts will do anything to stop the spam problem, but it's easy to see the ways that it could lead to less people joining up for Twitter/X in the first place. 

Would you be willing to spend $1 a year for Twitter access? Do you think this will lead to fewer people joining Twitter? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!