Musk Blocks X’s Attempt to Limit Foreign Influencers’ Revenue
On Tuesday, X’s head of product Nikita Bier announced a planned change to creator payouts. The company said it would weight impressions from a creator’s home region more heavily when calculating payments.
Details of the proposal
X presented the move as a measure to curb engagement farming tied to political posts. Bier said the change aims to discourage accounts that target attention from US or Japanese users.
He indicated creators could still comment on American politics. But the platform would reduce payments for content attracting overseas impressions.
Background and earlier location tool
The announcement follows a November feature that revealed many prolific accounts about American politics were not US-based. That tool showed some accounts claiming American identity while posting from abroad.
X later removed the account location data. It added disclaimers about travel, VPNs, and proxies causing inaccurate location signals.
Musk’s intervention and pause
Elon Musk intervened hours after Bier’s post and ordered a pause. He said the plan would be held for further consideration.
The payout change had been due to go live on Thursday. Musk’s note suggests the rollout will not proceed as planned.
Implications
Analysts say the pause effectively blocks X’s attempt to limit foreign influencers’ revenue. Creators will await further guidance on revised payout rules.
X gave no timeline for revisiting the proposal. Filmogaz.com will follow updates as they emerge.
