With less than a week to go for US Presidential Pollssome users on X who regularly post election disinformation, AI-generated images and conspiracy theories have said they are paid “thousands of dollars” by the platform.

The BBC, in its report, claimed to identify multiple X-point networks that are actively involved in spreading false information about the US election. Some have said their own and other handles’ earnings range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.

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

Some of these networks support Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, others Democratic candidate Kamala Harrisand some are independent. Several of those profiles, which have said they are not linked to official campaigns, have been contacted by US politicians, including congressional candidates, seeking endorsements.

On October 9, X updated its rules so that payments to eligible accounts with large followings are now dependent on premium user engagement – likes, shares and comments – rather than ad views.

Although X has a smaller user base than other platforms, it plays an influential role in political discussions, raising questions about whether it incentivizes users to post provocative content, regardless of its accuracy, especially as Election Day nears. US.

Among the false information shared by some of these handles were claims of US election fraud, which were dismissed by authorities.

Some of these fake posts have also found their way onto other social media platforms with larger audiences, including Facebook and TikTok.

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

X’s unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about an assassination attempt on Donald Trump in July have also circulated on other social media sites.

However, the spread of false information via AI-generated images is not limited to unknown X-users. In early August, Republican candidate Donald Trump shared an AI image of pop star Taylor Swift dressed in American colors with a text that read “Taylor Wants You To Vote For Donald Trump”. Swift, however, did not address the post at the time, she later retracted it; endorsing Trump’s opponent and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

MUCH EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE MONEY

Speaking to the BBC, one of the X users, who sought anonymity, said he spends up to 16 hours a day posting content on X. He said he has racked up around 11 million views in the past months since he started posting about The US votes regularly. He said he is still an independent, but would rather Donald Trump become president than Kamala Harris.

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

He said some of the users he knows have made over five figures and claimed he could confirm this by looking at the reach of their posts. “At that point it really becomes a job,” he said.

Dismissing concerns about fake news influencing the US election, he said the government was “spreading more misinformation than the rest of the internet put together”.

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

Asked about the impact these posts could have on the US election, he said: “I think you’re seeing that right now. I think a lot of Trump’s support comes from that.”