Will Twitter eradicate bots by removing messaging for non-paid users?

Luke Meredith

Social media platform Twitter may soon be restricting the use of some its services for users who do not pay for its Twitter Blue subscription service.

According to reports, the new update will see users told they have reached the maximum daily limit of messages they can send when they hit a certain number, before being told to subscribe to Twitter Blue to send as many as they like.

The company argues that the potential new feature will help to eliminate the problem of increasing presence of bots within the platform’s messaging service almost instantly. Elon Musk, the company’s owner and chief technology officer, suggests that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is making it even harder to stop bots dominating the platform.

Hopefully releasing the update this week.
As I’ve said many times, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between AI bots. Soon, it will be impossible.
The only “social networks” that survive will be those that require verification. The payment system is a means of…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 11, 2023

However, like some other new updates to Twitter over the past few months, there is bound to be some scepticism over whether the new update is truly a strategic move in the fight against bots, or simply another ploy to get users to pay a monthly subscription fee for Twitter Blue.

When Twitter first renovated the blue tick verification system, it was done so in the name of removing bots. Musk’s desire to ‘defeat the bots’ was reportedly a major factor in his decision to buy Twitter in the first place, although over six months on, the bots still appear to be prevalent, while Twitter is now charging a monthly fee for the services that made the app so popular as a free platform in the first place.

Only time will tell if limiting direct messaging will help Elon Musk and Twitter eliminate social media bots once and for all.

If you want to reach real people by offering engaging content online through social media platforms, including Twitter, speak to our professional content team at Engage Web today.

About
Latest Posts

Luke Meredith

Content Editor at Engage Web

At home in both the digital sector and the world of communications, Luke thrives on deadlines and has held roles in healthcare, retail and digital marketing, gaining a sound knowledge of a wide range of sectors. He’s a massive swot as well, holding a first-class degree in BA Communication and Media, and now uses his writing skills and keen editorial eye in his role as Content Editor here. Luke helps to oversee our clients’ content requirements, while also looking after a pool of freelance writers across three continents.

Will Twitter eradicate bots by removing messaging for non-paid users?