X is set to reduce payment to clickbait accounts by 80%

Microblogging site X is set to cut down payments to perceived clickbait accounts by an additional 20% after implementing a 60% reduction last month. Affected pages are aggregator pages that constantly republish news or platforms heavily involved in clickbait.

” All aggregators had their payouts reduced to 60% this cycle,” and said they’ll see another 20% reduction in the next pay cycle.” Nikita Bier, X’s Head of Product, wrote on X.

“It became abundantly clear: flooding the timeline with 100 stolen reposts and clickbait everyday crowded-out real creators and hurt new author growth,” Bier said, adding, “X will never infringe on speech or reach — but we will not compensate for manipulation of the program or our users.”

Bier’s assertion also includes X accounts with the penchant for adding “Breaking News” in all their posts. Such accounts create a false sense of urgency or report unverified claims. Her statement about the new X directive came after many conservative accounts reported receiving a demonetisation email from X.

Reactions to the new directive and the effects of the payment feature

Dominic Mcgee, a conspiracy theorist on X, told the New York Times last year that he earns $55,000 annually from X. He informed his X community of 1.6 million followers that he received a demonetization mail long ago, claiming to be the first to receive it.

McGee complained that X seems to be listening to people who have no intention of creating on the platform. He also downplays the clickbait in his X content. Other critics, like data analyst Nate Silver, complain that it has become harder to drive traffic from X to websites. He added that this places a serious question mark on the true value of X. This is because the platform, as it is, is almost useless to other websites, traffic-wise.

In Nigeria, X users are worried that the payment feature will water down the X experience. They worry that the platform will be flooded with clickbait, ragebait, and all manner of engagement fluff. On the flip side, many Nigerians are acquiring the Twitter Blue tick to earn from the platform. Stories like Lobistars, a Gambling Addiction activist who has been earning millions from the platform, serve as inspiration to others.

Multi-billionaire Elon Musk acquired the platform for $44 billion in a structured leverage buyout a few years ago. The Platform rebranded from Twitter to X under his watch. He also introduced AI and payments for creators after making the blue tick verification available for purchase.

Last updated: April 13, 2026