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Musk's X begins charging some new users for basic features

New users in certain countries who decline to pay the fee will have access limited to a “read only” version of the site.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA site X, formerly known as Twitter, has announced that it has begun charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines to use basic features like posting messages.

X, owned since last year by billionaire Elon Musk, said in a statement that its new subscription method should “bolster” existing efforts to reduce spam and “manipulation of our platform and bot activity.”

Under the trial, new web users in the Philippines and New Zealand will have to pay X around $0.75 and $0.85, respectively, every year, in order to access basic functionality like posting on the site.

Those who decline to pay the nominal fee will only have access to a “read only” version of the platform, limiting them to reading posts, watching videos and following accounts, the company said.

“This will evaluate a potentially powerful measure to help us combat bots and spammers on X, while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee amount,” it added.

Existing users in these countries are not affected.

Musk has made a number of controversial changes to the social media firm’s management and product since he acquired Twitter last year for $44 billion.

He recently floated the idea of charging all users a nominal fee to use the site in a bid to tackle fake accounts — drawing sharp criticism from users around the world.

© AFP 2023

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    Mute aoife✨
    Favourite aoife✨
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    Jan 26th 2018, 7:43 AM

    A hospital must be the most difficult building to plan a fire evacuation plan for. Since most of the people in the building require special assistance to move and even specialised equipment to stay breathing. That and the whole building is a fire hazard with oxygen being piped everywhere.
    God love them.

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    Mute Maurice Frazer
    Favourite Maurice Frazer
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    Jan 26th 2018, 9:27 AM

    Rest in Peace

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    Mute Lynne Anthony
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    Jan 26th 2018, 7:48 AM

    How awful. Sending prayers. xxx

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    Mute Jarlath Murphy
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    Jan 26th 2018, 9:22 PM

    Shocking!

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    Mute Helen Kiely-O'Regan
    Favourite Helen Kiely-O'Regan
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    Jan 26th 2018, 11:02 PM

    Prayers to all

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