X removes 4,000 creators from revenue-sharing programme for stealing content

X has stepped up efforts to clean up its creator revenue-sharing programme, removing nearly 4,000 accounts in a single day while using its Grok artificial intelligence model to detect stolen content and engagement bait.

The update was announced by X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, who stated that the platform is taking a tougher approach against creators who attempt to game the monetisation system through copied content or artificial engagement.

According to Bier, creators who repeatedly post engagement bait such as “I’ll follow everyone who replies” three or more times will be removed from the creator revenue-sharing programme and referred to X’s policy team for possible account suspension. “Grok now catches all of these,” Bier said, adding that nearly 4,000 accounts were removed from the programme following the latest enforcement action.

The company later clarified that users who posted similar messages between Monday and Wednesday to celebrate the app’s recent algorithm changes would not be penalised because those posts were excluded from enforcement.

Beyond engagement bait, the social media platform claims it has significantly enhanced its ability to identify copied content.

Bier said the latest version of Grok can detect duplicated content at three times the rate of the previous model. The system is now capable of recognising reposted videos and copied text posts even when users attempt to disguise them by adding watermarks, introductions or other edits.

Instead of rewarding the account that reposted the content, the platform says monetised impressions from duplicated posts will now be credited to the original creator.

Similar read: Explained: How X’s new algorithm prioritises replies by mutuals over virality

The platform also said it detected 1.5 million stolen posts during its latest review cycle, although it did not specify the period covered by the audit. As a result of the changes, more than $1 million in creator payouts will be redirected to the original owners of the content instead of those who copied it.

X warned that repeated or deliberate attempts to bypass the new system could lead to permanent removal from its creator revenue-sharing programme.

Why X is tightening the rules for creators

The move comes as social media platforms face growing criticism over users earning money from content they did not create. On platforms such as X, viral videos, memes and text posts are often reposted multiple times by different accounts, with some creators making small edits or adding branding in an attempt to claim ownership and earn advertising revenue.

According to a report by TechCrunch, X’s latest enforcement is part of a broader effort to ensure creators who produce original work receive the financial rewards rather than accounts that simply recycle popular content.

The company has also been expanding its use of AI beyond content recommendations. In April, Bier said the platform was identifying and suspending more than 200 bots every minute, highlighting the growing role of AI in platform moderation.

For creators who produce original content, the changes could increase earnings by reducing the amount of revenue lost to copied posts. However, creators who rely heavily on reposting viral videos, screenshots or popular text posts may find it harder to remain in the revenue-sharing programme if Grok identifies their content as duplicated.

The crackdown also signals a broader shift in how social media companies are using artificial intelligence. While much attention has focused on AI’s ability to generate text, images and videos, companies are increasingly deploying the technology behind the scenes to detect fraud, identify bots, enforce platform rules and protect creator earnings.

For the social media app, the latest update is less about generating content and more about deciding who deserves to be paid for it.

Also read: How Grok 4.5 and GPT 5.6 actually stack up against Claude Opus class