Elon Musk's X Introduces Fees for New Users' Social Engagement

Twitter, under Elon Musk's leadership as "X," will implement charges for new users, departing from its previous free-to-use model. Musk announced that newcomers will be required to pay a "small" fee for activities like liking, posting, replying, and bookmarking tweets. This move follows a testing phase in New Zealand and the Philippines and aims to tackle spam and enhance user experience.

Musk justified the decision, highlighting the necessity to combat spam bots that have plagued the platform. He argued that a nominal fee for new users' writing access is crucial to curb the proliferation of fake accounts and automated bots. However, concerns persist regarding the effectiveness of this fee-based model in deterring spamming activities and preventing the creation of fake accounts.

Currently, the fee is approximately $1, based on the $1.75 charge in New Zealand currency, and is being rolled out globally. Musk has voiced concerns about the prevalence of spam and bot accounts on X, attributing them to the platform's advertising-driven model. He advocates for greater transparency and accuracy in user metrics to prevent misleading advertisers and investors.