X rolled out new restrictions on how many times non-paying users can post each day. The platform continues efforts to combat bot activity and spam.
The social media company quietly changed posting limits for non-Premium users earlier this week. Unverified accounts now face limits of 50 original posts and 200 replies per day.
This represents a dramatic decrease from the previous limit. The platform allowed 2,400 posts per day until at least April according to Internet Archive Wayback Machine records. X stated these limits reduce pressure on backend systems. The restrictions lower downtime and minimize error pages during periods of high activity.
However, not all restrictions increased across the board. Direct message limits remain unchanged at 500 per day per user. Accounts can still follow up to 400 profiles daily before reaching the rate limit. The company announced the changes through the platform’s official support page.
X has been experimenting with different strategies to tackle posts that don’t provide much value. This includes things like limiting “gm” posts in crypto communities and reducing the visibility of users who seem to throw around the term “BREAKING” in every update they make.
The Elon Musk-owned social media platform describes the measures as necessary to alleviate technical pressure on servers and combat automated accounts.
The new restrictions quickly triggered criticism from users online, claiming the platform was putting free speech behind a paywall. However, the critics can rest knowing that recent data points out that 80% of X users never actually post anything on the app. Even among those who do engage, very few are likely to reply more than 200 times in a single day.
On the other hand, if users want higher posting limits, they need to pay for verification through X Premium. The basic plan starts at $3 monthly or $32 annually. Premium users get blue verification checkmarks and priority ranking in conversations. Subscribers can edit posts, upload longer videos, and access reduced advertisements. Premium members also gain early access to new features and enhanced customer support. The subscription includes access to Grok AI chatbot and improved content monetization tools for eligible creators.
