Social network X, formerly known as Twitter, has announced a fundamental overhaul of its content monetization program. The platform, aiming to become the "everything app," is definitively moving away from supporting aggregators and reposts in favor of creators producing unique material. This decision, arriving in August 2026, threatens the existence of thousands of accounts earning money by republishing other people's news and memes, while opening a new era for independent journalists and creators.
Paradigm Shift: From Reach to Contribution
The existing Revenue Sharing program, which allowed creators to receive a share of ad revenue, will be closed to new participants. Those already connected to the system will be able to receive payments under the old rules only until September 7, 2026. After this date, a "reboot" will begin: creators will have to submit new applications, and the key criterion will not just be the number of views, but the creator's own contribution to the content. The platform intends to take into account not only the publication's audience but also the author's intellectual labor.
New Criteria: What Counts as Original?
In the updated rules, X clearly distinguishes between permissible and prohibited formats. Original materials now include own investigations, analytical notes, unique photos and videos, as well as independently developed memes and graphics. Comments can also participate in the program, provided they carry semantic weight. Simple copying, downloading, and re-uploading of other people's material is strictly excluded. Even regular use of other people's materials will require the author to substantially rework and add their own unique content.
Contradictory Data
Although the basic technical requirements (X Premium subscription, 500 followers, and 500,000 impressions in 90 days) remain the same, the creator community is already discussing the ambiguity of the wording. On the one hand, platform moderators claim this is a fight against "junk" content. On the other hand, many influencers point to the subjectivity of assessing "substantial reworking." Unlike clear view metrics, the concept of "uniqueness" can be interpreted differently by algorithms, creating risks for authors working in the digest or review genres, which were previously successfully monetized.
History of Mistakes and Community Reaction
These changes are another attempt by X to restructure the reward system, which has repeatedly sparked sharp debates. In April 2026, the platform took a similar step, reducing payouts to aggregators and clickbait accounts. This caused a wave of criticism, and some changes had to be reversed. In particular, Elon Musk was forced to restore greater weight to the author's local audience when calculating payouts following negative community reaction. Now, in August, X leadership seems determined to go all-in, betting on content quality despite the potential loss of part of the audience.
