Users spreading US poll misinformation, AI images claim being paid by X: Report

With less than a week left to go for the US presidential polls, some users on X who regularly post election misinformation, AI-generated images, and conspiracy theories said that they are being paid "thousands of dollars" by the platform.

The BBC, in its report, claimed to identify networks of several X handles that are actively engaged in spreading false information regarding the US elections. Some said that the earnings from their own and other handles range from a couple of hundred to thousands of dollars.

They also coordinate sharing each other's posts in forums and group chats. "It's a way of trying to help each other out," one user was quoted as saying by the BBC in its report.

Some of these networks support Donald Trump, others Kamala Harris, and some are independent. Several of these profiles, which said they are not linked to official campaigns, have been contacted by US politicians, including congressional candidates, seeking supportive posts.

On October 9, X updated its rules so that payments to eligible accounts with large followings now depend on engagement from premium users — likes, shares, and comments — rather than on ad views.

While X has a smaller user base than some other platforms, it plays an influential role in political discussions, raising questions about whether it is incentivising users to post provocative content, regardless of its accuracy, especially as US election day approaches.

Among the false information shared by some of these handles were claims about US election fraud, which have been refuted by authorities.

Some of these false posts have also found a way onto other social media platforms with a larger audience, including Facebook and TikTok.

In one case, an X user with a small following told BBC that he created a doctored image that appeared to show Kamala Harris working at McDonald's as a young woman. Other users then spread unsupported claims that the Democratic Party was altering images of its candidate.

Unfounded conspiracy theories from X about a July assassination attempt on Donald Trump also circulated on other social media sites.

Spreading false information via AI-generated images, however, is not only limited to unknown X users. Earlier in August, Republican candidate Donald Trump shared an AI image of pop star Taylor Swift dressed in American colours with a text reading, "Taylor Wants You To Vote For Donald Trump.” Swift, though, did not address the post at that time; however, she rebutted it later by endorsing Trump's opponent and Democrat candidate Kamala Harris.

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Speaking with the BBC, one of the X users, who sought anonymity, said that he spends up to 16 hours a day posting content on X. He said that he has garnered about 11 million views over the last few months since he began posting about the US polls regularly. He said that, though, he is an independent but would rather want Donald Trump to become president than Kamala Harris.

He said that he makes in the "low thousands" monthly from X. “I think it's become a lot easier for people to make money,” he said.

He said that some of the users he knows have been making over five figures and claimed that he could confirm this by looking at the reach of their posts. "It's at that point it really does become a job," he said.

Dismissing concerns regarding the false information influencing the US elections, he said the government “spreads more misinformation than the rest of the internet combined.”.

He said that it is “very common” for local politicians to contact accounts like his on X for support.

When asked about the impact that these posts could have on US elections, he said, “I think that you're seeing that currently. I think that a lot of the Trump support comes from that."