Recently, a new profit model has emerged on the social media platform X: users claim to earn thousands of dollars or more a month by posting false information related to the U.S. election, AI-generated images and conspiracy theories. These users create false traffic by forwarding content to each other on the platform, thereby increasing exposure and revenue. The BBC survey found that these users formed a huge network with mixed content, with the purpose of enhancing their influence and having connections with some American politicians. This phenomenon is closely related to the recent adjustments to the earnings rules of the X platform, and the new rules tend to reward content that causes controversy and highly interactive.
Recently, some users have claimed on social media platform X to make “thousands of dollars” by posting false information related to the U.S. election, AI-generated images and various unfounded conspiracy theories. These users often share each other's content on the Internet and forward it multiple times a day to increase their exposure and revenue.
A BBC survey found that these users formed a network where dozens of accounts interacted with each other and shared various information about the truth and falsehood, with the goal of enhancing their influence on the platform. Some of these people support Donald Trump, some support Kamala Harris, and some are independent. While the accounts claim to be unrelated to the official campaign, they sometimes receive contacts from American politicians seeking them to post some supportive content.
More notably, X changed its earnings rules on October 9, calculating payments based on the amount of interactions among high-end users (such as likes, shares, and comments) rather than based on the number of ads under their posts. This means that those posting content that causes controversy or attracts attention may be easier to earn higher returns.
Some users said that since they began to frequently publish about elections on X, their views have reached 11 million. They attract audiences by creating various types of content, including even some ironic AI images. Some users revealed that they can earn "thousands of dollars" of income every month, and some of them can earn five-digit income.
The success of these contents is not accidental, because the topic of “controversial” often attracts more attention. These users believe that content on independent media and social platforms can win people's trust more than some traditional media. Although the content they post may include false information, they believe that this is only part of the social media environment, and some users even feel that posting such content will bring more interaction and support.
Key points:
Users share election fake information on social media X, claiming to earn thousands of dollars a month.
X Platform changes revenue rules and encourages users to create more controversial content.
Some users have generated images and various content through AI, resulting in high income.
In short, the new revenue model of X platform and the encouragement of controversial content have led to the proliferation of false information and conspiracy theories on the platform, and formed a chain of interests that uses false information to make profits. This deserves the attention of the platform and regulators and takes measures to regulate it to avoid having greater negative impact on society.