X sues eight individuals in U.S. court over alleged abuse of creator revenue sharing program

In a move to safeguard the credibility of its monetization programs, X (formerly Twitter) has filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court against eight individuals for allegedly abusing its Creator Revenue Sharing Program.

The platform’s Global Government Affairs account announced the legal action in a post, stating that the individuals used deceptive tactics such as posting inauthentic content, faking engagement metrics, and selling automation tools to fraudulently increase earnings on X and other major social media platforms.

“These individuals also sold and used automation tools to manipulate engagement metrics,” the company noted, emphasizing that such fraudulent behavior undermines the trust and fairness of its monetization ecosystem. “We’ll act forcefully to protect the integrity of our platform, no matter where bad actors are located,” it said.

X’s Creator Revenue Sharing Program was launched to incentivize original, high-quality content by sharing ad revenue with creators whose posts generate substantial engagement. They share in the revenue generated from X Premium subscriptions, specifically from engagement with their content by Premium users. Payouts are based on the quality of engagement, not ad impressions, and increase as X Premium subscriptions grow.

The platform has positioned it as a core part of its efforts to support independent creators and rebuild trust under Elon Musk’s ownership. X's program was launched in 2022, shortly after Musk bought the platform for $44 billion.

The misuse of this system not only distorts genuine engagement but also impacts how content is prioritized and rewarded across the platform. By targeting individuals who attempt to game the system, X is signaling its commitment to maintaining fairness and integrity in how creators are compensated.

The company further noted that protecting the program from abuse is essential to ensuring that only “deserving creators” benefit from it. While details of the individuals or specific methods used were not disclosed in the public statement, the lawsuit is expected to set a precedent for how X handles monetization-related fraud going forward.