The editor of Downcodes noticed that recently there has been a phenomenon of using false information and AI-generated content to make profits on the X platform. Some users have made high profits under the platform's new revenue rules by posting controversial content related to the U.S. election, such as false information and conspiracy theories, even earning tens of thousands of dollars a month. These users often form networks and forward content to each other to increase exposure and revenue, and their behavior is worthy of attention.
Recently, some users claimed to have made "thousands of dollars" on social media platform X by posting false information, AI-generated images, and various baseless conspiracy theories related to the U.S. election. These users often share each other's content on the Internet and forward it multiple times a day to increase their exposure and income.
A BBC investigation found that these users formed networks where dozens of accounts interacted with each other, sharing a variety of mixed true and false information in order to increase their influence on the platform. Some of these people support Donald Trump, some support Kamala Harris, and some are independent. Although these accounts claim to have nothing to do with official campaigns, they are sometimes contacted by U.S. politicians seeking to post supportive content.
What’s even more noteworthy is that X changed its revenue rules on October 9 to calculate payments based on high-end users’ interaction volume (such as likes, shares, and comments), rather than based on the number of ads under their posts. This means that those who publish controversial or attention-grabbing content may be more likely to earn higher profits.
One user said that since he started frequently posting election-related content on X, his views have reached 11 million. They engage their audience by creating various types of content, even including some ironic AI images. Some users revealed that they can earn "thousands of dollars" per month from it, and some of them can earn five figures.
The success of this content is no accident, as “controversial” topics tend to attract more attention. These users believe that content on independent media and social platforms can win people's trust more than some traditional media. Although the content they publish may include false information, they believe this is just part of the social media environment, and some users even feel that publishing such content will bring more interaction and support.
This phenomenon of profiting from false information and controversial content deserves our deep thought. It reflects the contradiction between the incentive mechanism of social media platforms and the authenticity of information, and also highlights the challenges of content moderation and supervision of platforms. The editor of Downcodes calls on the platform to strengthen supervision and users to improve their ability to identify and avoid being misled by false information.