elmundo.es
X's Bot Problem: Indian Bots, Monetization, and the Black Market
Indian bots are flooding X to profit from Elon Musk's new verification system and thriving black market for social media accounts.
Spanish
Spain
Artificial IntelligenceSocial MediaDisinformationBlack MarketMonetizationBots
XUnirSwapd
Naveen KumarElon MuskFernando Checa GarcíaÓscar Puente
- What is the role of the black market in the proliferation of social media bots?
- Beyond X's revenue-sharing system, there's a thriving black market for buying and selling social media accounts. Verified accounts with thousands of followers can fetch hundreds or thousands of dollars, further incentivizing bot activity.
- How do these bots exploit Elon Musk's new verification policy to generate income?
- These bots, many verified and often using AI-generated content, participate in high-engagement conversations to increase their account value, allowing them to earn more revenue from X's ad revenue sharing scheme.
- What are some of the tactics employed by these bots to maximize their engagement and revenue?
- The bots' actions range from copying high-interaction responses to posting inflammatory comments, all aiming to maximize engagement and revenue. Their behavior often shifts between topics, reflecting their primary motivation of profit.
- How does the case of the Indian bots highlight an irony in Elon Musk's actions concerning bots?
- The proliferation of bots highlights a paradoxical consequence of Elon Musk's efforts to combat bots. His new monetization strategy unintentionally created a lucrative environment for them, potentially undermining the platform's integrity and user experience.
- What is the primary motivation behind the surge of Indian bots on X following the Valencia tragedy?
- The influx of Indian bots on X (formerly Twitter) following the Valencia DANA tragedy appears driven by financial incentives. Elon Musk's new verification policy, which shares ad revenue with verified users, created an environment ripe for engagement farming.