Elon Musk threatens to pause ad revenue sharing for creators using bots to earn more on X

In a stern warning issued on Saturday, Elon Musk, the CEO of X, declared that advertisement revenue sharing would be halted for certain creators "pending an investigation into the use of bots to spam likes, replies and direct messages (DMs)."

The announcement comes amidst mounting concerns over the proliferation of automated bots on the platform, which has been undermining the integrity of engagement metrics and tarnishing the user experience.

Musk reiterated the platform's commitment to fostering high-quality content, stating, "The point of creator payouts is to incentivise high-quality content on X." However, he expressed dismay over reports of individuals exploiting the system to artificially boost ad revenue through spamming tactics.

"In some cases, we are seeing the opposite, where people are spamming the system to generate ad money. That is obviously not ok," Musk commented.

The tech mogul further disclosed that ad revenue sharing would be suspended for creators found to be engaging in such manipulative practices. The move was met with support from some users, with one follower highlighting the importance of promoting legitimate and quality content.

"The goal could be to maximise legitimate, quality, accurate, informative and entertaining content," the follower remarked.

X has been grappling with a surge in spam and pornographic bots infiltrating its platform, prompting urgent measures to curb their activities. The company has been working tirelessly to tackle the issue and maintain a safe and engaging environment for its users.

According to Musk, the proliferation of bot operations has significantly compromised the quality of content on the platform. The crackdown on fake engagement specifically targets individuals who resort to using bots to artificially inflate their metrics.