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Imposing charges on new users could be an effective solution to curb the onslaught of bots and promote a more authentic user base on the platform.
Elon Musk, the owner of the prominent social media platform X, recently sparked a heated debate with his suggestion of implementing a policy that would require new users to pay a certain fee before gaining access to the platform. This proposed measure aims to combat the prevalent issue of bots and duplicate accounts, which have long plagued the platform.
According to Musk, the current artificial intelligence (AI) systems and troll farms can easily bypass the existing “Are you a bot” verification measures. In a post on his X page, the multibillionaire businessman expressed his belief that imposing charges on new users could be an effective solution to curb the onslaught of bots and promote a more authentic user base on the platform. Musk’s stance stems from his long-standing criticism of the rampant bot usage on the social media platform, having previously claimed that 90% of the comments on his account originate from bots.
Unfortunately, a small fee for new user write access is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.
Current AI (and troll farms) can pass “are you a bot” with ease.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 15, 2024
Ripple CTO David Schwartz Criticizes Musk’s Stance as Contradictory
However, this policy suggestion has drawn diverse views and opinions from prominent figures, including David Schwartz, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Ripple. Schwartz criticized Musk’s stance, questioning his commitment to free speech and accusing him of selectively defending speech he agrees with. In a direct response to Musk, Schwartz expressed his concerns, stating:
“I thought you were against censoring any lawful speech on your platform. Now, keeping some lawful speech off X just because it’s annoying is so important that you’re going to change the fundamental dynamics of the site to make it possible?”
When Schwartz was asked how he thinks the issue can be resolved, he revealed that the problem isn’t about X users’ speech itself but in the lack of critical thinking before expressing opinions. He proposed that people should take a moment to think before speaking, suggesting that this could potentially solve the issue of “incredibly dumb things” being said without consideration.
Will Fees Deter Determined Scammers?
Another X user, ZachXBT, with over 500,000 followers, expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the proposed policy. By sharing screenshots of various verified scam accounts that pay thousands of dollars for verification, his view explained that a small fee might not be a deterrent for those willing to go to great lengths to engage in malicious activities on the platform.
If implemented, Musk’s idea would align with the platform’s policy in countries like New Zealand and the Philippines, where similar measures are already in place. Based on how it was enforced in these countries, new users who refused to pay the fee would only have access to a read-only version of the platform.
As the debate continues, one X user, Penny2x, with over 80,000 followers, suggested to Musk, the self-proclaimed Doge Lord, to consider accepting payments in Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency he has long supported.
The proposed policy has sparked ongoing discussion within the X community, prompting users and industry experts to weigh in on the potential advantages and drawbacks of charging fees to new users. However, since it is still in the suggestion stage, it remains uncertain whether it will be implemented or not.
