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Twitter gets its new paid feature. 🤑🥲
In a move to tackle the persistent issue of bot accounts and enhance user experience, Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, announced a forthcoming paid feature for new users. Under this plan, new users will be charged a small fee for activities such as posting, liking, replying to, and favoriting tweets.
Musk emphasized the necessity of charging new accounts as a means to effectively prevent bot attacks, citing the ease with which current AI and trolls bypass traditional security measures like CAPTCHA. Premium users, however, will retain visibility of the coveted blue verification badge.
While the exact implementation date and fee structure are yet to be finalized, Musk hinted at a similar approach previously tested in New Zealand and the Philippines, where unverified new users were charged an annual fee of $1.
Twitter's recent efforts to cleanse the platform of spam accounts have underscored the necessity of more comprehensive solutions. By introducing a nominal fee for new users, Twitter aims to address the bot problem and foster a more authentic and engaging environment.
User reactions have been mixed, with some expressing frustration over the prevalence of escort and troll accounts, while others have welcomed measures to curb irrelevant comments and spam. Concerns about the manipulation of user emotions and the need for better content moderation have also been raised.
Musk's vision for Twitter includes free blue verification badges and AI advancement with Grok-1.5. Regulatory scrutiny, including from the SEC, follows Musk's actions. Twitter may also launch its own video platform to compete with YouTube.
Twitter's diverse trending topics, from car rental prices to satellite receivers, highlight its appeal. Paid features for new users signal Twitter's commitment to combatting bot activity and enhancing authenticity.
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