[HN] X begins charging new users $1 a year in New Zealand, Philippines

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, has started charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 (£0.82) a year to access key features, as part of a new trial.

Those who opt out of the subscription fee will only be able to read posts, watch videos and follow accounts.

While there is a clear financial interest for the company to charge users, the controversial billionaire has said that getting people to pay for the service is aimed at tackling bots.

Paid subscribers of an enhanced service, called X Premium, now pay for more features like longer posts and increased visibility on the platform.

In recent weeks, the company has been investigated by the European Union for the possible spread of terrorist and violent content and hate speech, after Hamas's attack on Israel.

It has also been fined by Australia's internet safety watchdog for failing to cooperate with a probe into anti-child abuse practices.

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