X.com, the short-form social media blogging platform formerly known as Twitter, is winding down its current revenue sharing program for eligible users and will relaunch the program with a focus on rewarding independent creators who produce authentic, original content.
The move comes about three years after X.com originally launched its revenue-sharing program as a way to encourage high-performing creators to stick with its platform.
The current program has drawn some scrutiny from photographers, video producers and other media creators who say large accounts with sizable followers have capitalized on their materials by effectively stealing and re-sharing it.
Over the past several months, former X.com product head Nikita Bier publicly announced the cancellations of revenue-sharing agreements with some content creators who were found to run accounts that simply re-posted images, videos and other materials found elsewhere on the Internet. In posts reviewed by The Desk, Bier said the revenue-sharing program was meant to reward authentic content creators sharing original materials, and wasn’t intended to dole out bounties to accounts that simply syndicate stolen media.
Bier stepped down as X.com’s product head last week and is now serving as an advisor to the company.
In a note sent to affected users on Friday, X.com said it will automatically unenroll all content creators in its current revenue sharing program in September, at which point eligible users can apply for a new program that will effectively offer the same perks.
The new revenue sharing program is designed to “reward the creators who make X worth opening every day,” including those who publish “breaking news, first-hand experiences and commentary that moves culture forward.”
Current content creators will continue to receive payouts under the original program over the next several weeks, with two payments expected in August and a final check or deposit issued in September. After the final payment is made, users can check their account settings to see if they are eligible for the new revenue-sharing program and apply to continue receiving payments under the new program’s rules.
Creators who are currently enrolled in the program but had their participation paused due to a rules violation will not be eligible to apply for the new program, X.com said on Friday.
Payments will be issued based on certain engagement with original content, which X.com calls a “qualified impression.” Content that is viewed by X.com users who are subscribed to its premium features will qualify as an impression for purposes of earning money.
The majority of X.com users are on the company’s free tier, which doesn’t qualify for impressions under the older or forthcoming program.
Eligible content creators are those who have at least 500 “verified” followers — anyone can be verified by simply paying for an X.com premium plan — and whose posts generate at least 500,000 impressions from verified users within a three-month period.
Accounts must also “regularly post original content,” though X.com didn’t specifically define the term “original content,” an indication that accounts might be de-monetized incorrectly if their content is believed to have originated somewhere else.
Creators can lose their eligibility status if they’re caught trying to maintain their standing by using artificial intelligence or “bot” accounts to inflate impressions, X.com warned. They can also have their eligibility revoked for making “false statements,” which was further clarified to include media and posts that contain “disinformation or misleading” materials. Content that is flagged with a fact check, known as a “Community Note,” will not be eligible for payouts either, X.com said.
But commentary will be eligible for payments because “reacting to, analyzing, explaining, and building on what’s happening in the world is one of the things that makes the platform unique,” the company affirmed in its note. “Memes” and “creative interpretations” are among the media that is eligible for revenue-sharing payments, which is likely to result in confusion among content creators who are penalized for making false statements that some might construe as opinion.
Overall, the program is designed to reward original creations valued by X.com’s paying users while de-incentivizing accounts that simply steal and attempt to capitalize on the works of others.
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Disclosure: The author of this story is enrolled in X.com’s current revenue-sharing program and occasionally receives payments for original content published there. The X.com account used by this publication is eligible for, but not enrolled in, the current program.
