X says it’s reducing payments to clickbait accounts

Key Points

• X is reducing payouts for accounts labeled as 'clickbait' or 'aggregators' by 40% immediately, with an additional 20% cut planned for the next cycle.
• The policy targets accounts that flood timelines with reposts and 'BREAKING' spam, which X says crowds out original creators and hurts new author growth.
• Creator Dom Lucre, with 1.6M followers, reported sudden demonetization despite being an original content producer, highlighting fears of misclassification.
• X states it will not limit speech or reach but will stop compensating for 'manipulation' of its monetization program.
• Some creators argue that reposting is central to content spread on X, and the policy may inadvertently harm legitimate sharing behavior.

Full Details

X is implementing a significant reduction in creator payouts for accounts it deems 'clickbait' or 'aggregators,' according to head of product Nikita Bier. Aggregation accounts saw their payouts cut to 60% of the previous cycle (a 40% reduction) and will face an additional 20% cut next period. The policy targets 'habitual bait posters' who prepend '🚨BREAKING' to every post, arguing that such accounts crowd out original creators and hinder new author growth. High-profile creator Dom Lucre (1.6M followers) reported sudden demonetization, despite making $55,000 annually from X. While X emphasizes it won't limit speech, it aims to stop 'manipulation' of its monetization program, sparking debate over fairness and classification accuracy.