X to suspend creator revenue for users posting unlabelled AI-generated war videos

New Delhi: X has announced that users who repeatedly post AI-generated videos of armed conflicts without proper disclosure will lose access to the platform’s creator revenue programme.

The social media platform said accounts that share AI-generated war footage without labelling it as AI-created will be suspended from earning revenue for 90 days. A second violation will result in a permanent suspension from the programme.

The move comes after social media feeds were flooded with fabricated battle scenes following the start of the conflict involving Iran. Several viral clips circulating on X and other platforms appeared to depict military action but were later identified as manipulated or unrelated footage.

Posts across platforms including Instagram and Facebook, operated by Meta, have featured altered or misleading visuals. One widely shared video appeared to show Iranian rockets chasing and shooting down a US jet, while another clip replaced smoke from a real missile strike with an artificially generated fireball.

According to checks by BBC Verify, one of the fabricated clips was viewed around 70 million times.

X operates a revenue-sharing programme that allows users with large followings to earn income from engagement on their posts. Accounts with audiences approaching 100,000 followers can generate hundreds of dollars each month, which has encouraged the production of highly viral content.

Nikita Bier, head of product at X, said, “During times of war, it is critical that people have access to authentic information on the ground. With today’s AI technologies, it is trivial to create content that can mislead people. Starting now, users who post AI-generated videos of an armed conflict, without adding a disclosure that it was made with AI, will be suspended from creator revenue sharing for 90 days. Subsequent violations will result in a permanent suspension from the programme.”