Paid sign-up coming to X: Global rollout planned next month

Social network X, formerly known as Twitter and owned by Elon Musk, is preparing to introduce a fee for new user registrations.

According to a report by Fortune citing sources familiar with the company’s plans, while signing up for X is currently free, the platform is expected to implement an $8 registration fee globally by February 2025, per Caliber.Az.

Users who opt not to pay the fee will be restricted to read-only access, unable to write posts or comment on others' content.

As part of the registration fee, new users will automatically receive a one-month subscription to X Premium, which typically costs $8 on its own. This premium subscription removes advertisements, enhances features of the built-in Grok neural network, and includes a verified identity badge.

This move is reportedly aimed at combating fake accounts and bots on the platform. X began testing the concept in 2023 in select markets like New Zealand and the Philippines, where users are required to pay $1 per year to fully access the social network.

In another potential change, Elon Musk has suggested removing the date and time from post displays in users' feeds. He believes this will streamline and improve the social network's interface.

Representatives from X have yet to officially comment on the upcoming paid registration model or the planned removal of timestamps from posts.

By Tamilla Hasanova