• X (formerly Twitter) has announced that users can limit replies to posts to only verified accounts.
• The new feature is part of a wider plan to make paid verification on the platform more appealing.
• Concerns, however, are being raised as to what this means for posts that push misinformation on X.

In recent months X (formerly Twitter) has espoused its latest content policy of “freedom of speech, not reach,” but its newly announced feature certainly brings that into question. This as the social media platform has confirmed that users will be able to limit replies to only verified accounts, which may be part of a larger push by X to make paid verification more appealing.

“You can now limit replies to verified users” a quickly cobbled together post from the official X account shared a few hours ago, with no links, threads, follow up posts, or replies as to how this system would work, and what the potential implications of it would be.

As such, moving forward, should a user wish to ensure that only verified accounts have the ability to reply to posts, they are now able to do so.

Whether this will indeed make paid verification more appealing, or indeed necessary, remains to be seen, but at R144.99 a month for a Premium subscription, the cost may still be too high for most users.

Perhaps of more concern, as The Verge points out, is that users who are unwilling to pay for verification could potentially have their voice limited or restricted on the platform. This could make misinformation an even more fertile breeding ground on the platform, as those without paid verification would not be able to challenge or question any posts that share or spread false information.

We have already seen at the weekend that the conflict between Hamas and Israel has led to many posts being shared that do not accurately portray the reality of what is going on int he region currently.

Either way, it looks like X’s latest feature to get people to pay for verification and ensure they have a say on the platform, could in fact prove detrimental.