Payam Javan; Social media giant X, formerly known as Twitter, has unveiled plans to test a new subscription model called “Not A Bot,” charging users a nominal annual fee of $1 for essential features like likes, reposts, quoting posts, and bookmarking on the web version. The initiative is a proactive response to combat the persistent issue of bots and spammers on the platform. X has emphasized that the subscription fee will be tailored to exchange rates, varying across different countries. The trial phase will kick off in New Zealand and the Philippines initially, with existing users unaffected while new users choosing not to subscribe will have limited functionality, restricted to viewing and reading posts, watching videos, and following accounts.

This strategic move by X comes amidst growing concerns about the prevalence of bots, particularly significant since Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform last year. In July, the company had already imposed limits on tweet views to safeguard the authenticity of its user base.