X to Charge New Users Small Fee to Post in Attempt to Combat Bots
- Written by Deep Shikha Content Writer
X, previously known as Twitter, will soon charge new users a fee to access basic features, including posting. Elon Musk, the owner of the X, announced this new fee on April 15 . He explained that the fee is necessary to tackle the persistent bot issues the platform has been facing for years.
In response to a post detailing updates on X’s website , Musk declared that charging new users a nominal fee is essential to combat the surge of bots. He explained that modern AI and troll farms can effortlessly bypass standard tests like CAPTCHA, designed to verify if a user is human.
He further clarified ( replying to another user on X ) that new accounts will be able to post without a fee after 3 months.
Musk did not provide details on when or how the fee system would be implemented. However, Forbes suggests that the fee mentioned by Musk is similar to the “ Not a Bot” program used in New Zealand and the Philippines.
Last October, X began charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 per year. Initially, these users could only read posts and not interact with them. To engage fully — by posting, liking, reposting, replying, bookmarking, and quoting — they had to pay the fee. So, this announcement could just be a broadening of the measures already in place in New Zealand and the Phillippines.
The announcement about the new user fee comes shortly after X announced removing bots from the platform earlier this month. Musk warned that those behind the bot accounts would face serious legal consequences. This “small fee” looks like a “big component” of Musk’s broader efforts to eliminate bots from X.
EU Concerned Over New TikTok Lite Rewards Program
- Written by Shipra Sanganeria Cybersecurity & Tech Writer
- Fact-Checked by
TikTok faces renewed scrutiny from the EU about its spinoff app, TikTok Lite. In a fresh round of investigation, the Chinese-owned platform was asked for a risk assessment of its new service, which pays users for engaging with the platform, the European Commission said on April 17 .
The Commission’s concerns are believed to have been prompted by the potentially addictive nature of the reward-linked engagement feature and its negative effects on the mental health of young individuals.
“Is social media ‘lite’ as addictive and toxic as cigarettes ‘light’?” said European Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton on X , announcing the request for information. “We will spare no effort to protect minors under the #DSA.”
In the announcement, the European Commission also said that TikTok should have conducted a risk assessment on the app before its launch in any of the 27 EU member states. In addition to the 24-hour deadline of April 17, TikTok also needs to provide the other requested information by April 26.
The Commission also asked for information about the “measures the platform has put in place to mitigate such systemic risks.” The current move by the EU comes 2 months after the February investigation into TikTok’s possible breach of the European Digital Services Act (DSA) .
Despite security concerns regarding TikTok’s management of user data and the investigation into potential breaches of the DSA, the platform has garnered favor among the EU’s top political brass.
The shift in trend can be attributed to the platform’s increasing popularity among young people, especially for accessing news. According to a 2023 report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism , TikTok was the fastest-growing social network cited, with 20% of 18- to 24-year-olds using it for news consumption.
As a result, mainstream European politicians are embracing TikTok, especially as they prepare for the upcoming 2024 elections, aiming to connect with young voters.
