It’s been a while since X (formerly Twitter) introduced X Premium (formerly known as Twitter Blue) to let users unlock extra features through a paid subscription. However, it seems that Elon Musk wants to see how much users are willing to pay for X, as the platform will start charging users an annual subscription to let them access basic features such as creating new posts.
New users won’t be able to use X without paying
According to a Fortune report, X will charge new users $1 a year so that they can use basic features such as creating new posts, replying to other users, quote, repost, like, bookmark, and create lists. This will officially put X under a paywall, blocking people from using the platform without paying for it, even though it’s ad-based.
The report says that the idea came from X owner Elon Musk, who has long expressed his desire to charge everyone to use the platform. Musk said in a live stream last month that making X paid is the “only way” to keep the platform free of bots, although he has always said that charging for a blue verified badge would put an end to bots.
Since X was acquired by Musk, many features have become limited to those who pay for the Premium version. At first, the subscription unlocked features such as a button to edit posts, longer posts, text formatting, and themes. A few months ago, X began to limit the number of posts per day that non-paying users can see on their timeline.
A report earlier this month revealed that X is also planning to introduce a new, more expensive Premium tier that will remove ads completely. The current X Premium subscription costs $8 per month or $84 per year. This could be a response to X losing many advertisers due to the new policies introduced by Musk.
It starts today
As for the new subscription to use basic features, the official X support profile confirmed that new users will have to pay to write on the social network. The change is now being rolled out to users in New Zealand and the Philippines, and might soon be expanded to more countries. For now, X says that the change is experimental and only affects new users.
Would you pay $1 a year to continue using X? Let us know in the comments section below.
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