Musk’s X tests $1 fee for new users in the Philippines and New Zealand in bid to target spam

LONDON (AP) — Elon Musk’s social media platform X has begun charging a $1 fee to new users in the Philippines and New Zealand. It’s a test designed to cut down on the spam and fake accounts flourishing on the platform formerly known as Twitter. The company said late Tuesday that it’s started trying out the annual subscription method for new and unverified accounts. The program, dubbed Not a Bot, won’t apply to existing users. It’s not clear why it only applies to New Zealand and the Philippines or why those countries were chosen. The company said it’s “not a profit driver.”