X rolls out 'Not A Bot' subscription in New Zealand and the Philippines

In its continued quest to combat bots and spammers (fulfilling the mandate owner Elon Musk set when he acquired the company in 2022), X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has launched a new subscription tier called Not A Bot. The subscription plan, which costs $1 per year, was rolled out on Tuesday to new users in New Zealand and the Philippines.

The Not A Bot subscription provides access to key functions including tweeting, replying, retweeting, and liking. New accounts created in these countries will first be required to verify their phone number, and then pay the $1 annual fee to be able to post, like, reply, repost, quote posts and bookmark.

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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.

This new programme aims to defend against bots and spammers who attempt to manipulate the platform and disrupt the experience of other X users. The terms and conditions say the new charge is a beta programme, and users who sign up must agree to a recurring subscription payment.