X changes payment model for creators globally, focusing on premium user engagement 

Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is changing its creator payment policy, moving away from ad-based revenue sharing to a system centered on user engagement.

The Elon Musk company announced this change in a post on X.

Previously, creators on X earned a portion of the ad revenue generated from ads displayed in the replies to their posts.

Under the new policy, creators will be compensated based on the level of engagement their content receives from X’s Premium subscribers.

This shift is expected to impact the type of content that gains popularity on the platform, as creators will now be incentivized to generate posts that drive higher engagement, such as those that spark debate or provoke responses.

With more replies, these posts are likely to appear in more users’ algorithm-driven feeds, increasing their visibility.

Increase in payout 

Announcing the change, X also hinted at the possible increase in payout for content creators on the platform since payments will no longer depend on ad revenue.

“Payouts are increasing and you’ll now be paid based on engagement with your content from Premium users – not ads in replies. 

“Ads in replies will no longer impact your payout. Instead, you’ll be paid based on engagement with your content from Premium users. 

“So, when your followers subscribe to X Premium and engage with your content, they support you directly. And, because X Premium is growing, your payout is too. 

“The more Premium subscriptions overall, the more revenue you earn.” The company stated.

• In its announcement, X did not mention any plans to moderate or regulate this new payment structure to prevent engagement-baiting tactics.

• Instead, the platform indicated that this model would allow creators to earn more. “The more Premium subscriptions overall, the more revenue you can earn,” X stated.

• This change addresses concerns raised by creators about declining revenue, which has been affected by advertiser boycotts and other factors.

• Additionally, many Premium subscribers see reduced ads or none at all if they subscribe to the higher Premium+ tier, which became fully ad-free in August.

What you should know 

To qualify for monetization on X, users must be Verified (subscribed to Premium), have at least 500 followers, and achieve a minimum of 5 million impressions on their posts over a three-month period.

• These requirements had already led creators to focus on content designed to attract replies and boost engagement, altering the nature of the discourse on the platform.

• Although X has policies restricting spam, illegal content, and promotional posts like sweepstakes, the platform has limited safeguards against other types of content manipulation.

• As X’s new payment model rewards creators based on engagement from Premium subscribers, it’s likely that more content will be tailored to provoke reactions.
• The timing of this shift, just before the U.S. elections, raises concerns that it could encourage the spread of politically charged content, including misinformation, deepfakes, and other controversial material designed to capture attention.