In the Philippines and New Zealand, new users of Twitter, now known as “Now X,” are required to pay an annual fee of $1 to access essential features such as tweeting, retweeting, replying to posts, and liking posts. Those who choose the free option can only follow accounts, read posts, and watch videos.
According to a report by the BBC, the motivation behind this charge, as stated by Now X, is to reduce spam, curb platform manipulation, and combat bot activity. To create a new Now X account, users are mandated to verify their phone number. However, it remains free to establish “read-only” accounts, which lack the key interactive features.
Elon Musk announced last month that all Now X users would be required to pay for access. The premium version of Now X, called “X Premium,” currently costs $8 per month in the United States, with pricing variations based on the user’s country of residence. Meanwhile, other users can continue to access Now X for free.
