X reversed course on a proposed update to its creator monetization program within hours of the announcement, after owner Elon Musk said the company would pause the change following widespread criticism from creators outside the U.S.

X Head of Product Nikita Bier announced on March 25 that the platform would begin giving more weight to impressions from a creator’s home region when calculating payouts. The change was set to take effect on March 26.

“We will be giving more weight to impressions from your home region to encourage content that resonates with people in your country, in neighboring countries, and people who speak your language,” Bier wrote on X. He framed the update as a measure to reduce algorithm gaming, adding: “While we appreciate everyone’s opinion on American politics, we hope this will disincentivize gaming the attention of U.S. or Japanese accounts and instead drive diverse conversations on the platform.”

In a follow-up reply, Bier was more direct about the financial intent: “Of course, you’re welcome to continue chiming in on American politics. We just won’t send money overseas for that content.”

Hours after Bier’s announcement, Musk replied to a user post stating: “We will pause moving forward with this until further consideration.” The rollout, which had been scheduled for March 26, did not proceed.

Creator Backlash

The announcement drew criticism from creators worldwide, many of whom post in English or cover topics with international appeal specifically to reach larger audiences, given limited X usage in their home countries. Critics argued the policy would penalize creators posting about sports, fashion, entertainment, and technology, not only those covering regional politics, according to TechCrunch.

Background

The proposed change follows X’s November rollout of a profile feature that displays users’ account locations, which revealed that many accounts that frequently post about U.S. politics are not U.S.-based. 

X subsequently removed data showing where accounts were created and added disclaimers noting that travel, VPNs, and proxies can affect location accuracy, per The Verge.

Earlier this year, X also updated its monetization rules to suspend creator payouts for 90 days for accounts that use AI to post misleading content about war without disclosure, per TechCrunch.