X Corp Ends Ad Sharing: Originality Mandate Replaces Revenue Model

Woofun AI reports that X Corp has fundamentally restructured its creator economy by discontinuing the legacy ad revenue sharing model and launching the Original Content Rewards program on September 8th. This strategic pivot, analyzed by TechFlow, marks the definitive end of an era where content replication and AI-driven exploitation were monetized, replacing them with a strict mandate for originality tied directly to Premium user engagement.

The transition timeline is rigid and leaves no room for automatic carryover. On August 7th, X Corp officially announced the closure of new registrations for the existing Creator Revenue Sharing program. Payments to current participants will cease by September 7th, with the final installment expected to arrive by September 11th. In its place, the new Original Content Rewards initiative opens for applications starting September 8th. All previous participants in the old program must apply again; there is no automatic transition, forcing every creator to re-qualify under the new, stricter criteria.

The primary driver for this overhaul was the systemic failure of the previous incentive structure. X Corp stated bluntly in its announcement that the incentives under the old program "had gone awry," creating a perverse environment where creators focused on maximizing personal earnings rather than delivering genuine value to the platform. Simply put, the previous model benefited too many copycats, AI-generated content producers, and engagement-driven accounts at the expense of authentic creators. This imbalance prompted X Corp to overhaul the system entirely to realign creator behavior with platform health.

Under the old mechanics, monetization was decoupled from content quality. The program operated on a simple principle: as long as a post received sufficient views and included ads in the comments section, the creator earned money. Whether the content was an original in-depth analysis or something copied from TikTok with just a watermark added, the system treated them equally. This mechanism gave rise to numerous accounts that earned money simply by reposting content, and it also turned mass AI-generated content creation into a viable business venture, flooding the feed with low-effort, high-volume material.

Woofun AI data shows that the new program introduces fundamental changes at three levels, starting with how money is calculated. The old program relied on ad revenue sharing, while the new one uses "qualified impressions" as the basis for rewards. Qualified impressions are defined very strictly: only those views from Premium users within the home feed, where the post is at least 50% visible, count. Each user is counted only once per post. Paid promotions, artificially inflated views, and fraudulent impressions are not included, ensuring that earnings reflect genuine organic reach among paying subscribers.

Defining what constitutes "original content" is the second critical change. The new program clearly defines original content as material written, filmed, designed, or produced by you personally, reflecting your own voice, opinions, or expertise. Comments, analyses, and interpretations of news events are considered original as long as your contribution constitutes the main value of the post. The following does not qualify as original content: directly copying someone else's content and uploading it; downloading from X Corp or other platforms and reuploading it; minor edits such as adding watermarks, filters, changing speed, or adding borders; and simple copying and compilation without any substantive insights.

Participation thresholds have been adjusted to lower barriers to entry while raising the bar for compliance. The view threshold has been lowered from the high standard of the old program to 500,000 views from Premium users on the home feed within the past 90 days, while the follower requirement has been reduced to 500 verified followers, making it easier to join.

However, there is now an audit requirement for a "history of original content," along with ongoing compliance measures: violations will result in suspension or permanent exclusion from the program, and reapplication is not allowed within 90 days after a failed appeal.

Penalties for violations are severe, particularly regarding AI disclosure. A particularly important rule states that those who post AI-generated videos related to wars without indicating that they are AI-made will have their payments suspended for 90 days on the first violation, with permanent expulsion if it happens again. This specific focus on conflict-related AI content highlights the platform's concern over misinformation and the ethical implications of synthetic media in sensitive contexts, marking a significant shift in content moderation priorities.

Strategically, this shift moves the financial basis from ad revenue to subscription growth. The old program distributed ad revenue among creators, requiring X Corp to sell more ads to support an increasing number of creators.

However, the platform's ad revenue has been under pressure since Musk acquired X Corp. The new program shifts the payment basis from ad revenue sharing to Premium user views, essentially turning creators into promoters of Premium subscriptions: the better your content, the more Premium users it attracts, the more you earn, and the more revenue X Corp generates from subscriptions. This is similar to OpenAI's strategy of making ChatGPT available for free: the platform attracts users for free while generating revenue from the ecosystem. X Corp's 'platform tax' is the Premium subscription fee.

Applications will open on September 8th, and for encrypted KOLs and AI creators, the next month is a critical window to adjust their content strategies. If your main content consists of comments and analyses, you don't need to worry about lacking originality, as X Corp's policy documents state clearly that analyses, interpretations, and comments on news events are considered original.

However, if 90% of your posts over the past period were reposts or copied content, your application is likely to be rejected. Creators must stop posting engagement-driven posts that ask for likes, shares, and follows, as the new program's compliance rules explicitly prohibit "soliciting engagements." This marks a decisive turn toward quality over quantity in the platform's creator economy.