X Launches Major Initiative to Combat Spam and Bots
X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, is taking significant steps to rid its network of spammers and bots. The company’s Safety account announced on Thursday that it will embark on a substantial, proactive initiative to remove accounts that violate X’s rules regarding platform manipulation and spam. While striving for accuracy, X acknowledges that it will be casting a wide net to ensure the platform remains secure and free of bots.
New Safety Team Leaders Appointed
The announcement comes on the heels of X appointing two new leaders to its safety team: Kylie McRoberts, an existing X employee who has taken on the role of Head of Safety, and Yale Cohen, previously of Publicis Media, who has joined as the Head of Brand Safety and Advertiser Solutions. These appointments signal X’s commitment to tackling the issue of spam on the platform.
Elon Musk’s Prioritization of Fighting Spam
Elon Musk, the owner of X, has long expressed his desire to address the spam problem on the platform. In November 2022, he told employees that fighting spam would be a top priority moving forward. However, the task has proven more challenging than anticipated, especially after extensive job cuts left X’s Trust & Safety team understaffed, and the Head of Safety position remained vacant for 10 months following the departures of Ella Irwin and Yoel Roth under Musk’s tenure.
AI Advancements Complicate Spam Detection
The rise of artificial intelligence has made it increasingly difficult to combat spam on X. Earlier this year, reports surfaced of bots with Verified blue checks replying to posts with variations of the phrase, “I’m sorry, I cannot provide a response as it goes against OpenAI’s use case policy,” indicating that they were not human users but rather AI-powered bots. Additionally, a recent report by New York Intelligencer highlighted the proliferation of spam promoting adult content through explicit replies and links in user bios.
Musk’s Initial Concerns and Current Stance
The scale of spam on the network was a point of contention for Musk when he initially attempted to back out of the $44 billion Twitter acquisition, claiming that the company had not been transparent about the number of bots. However, Musk now touts X’s record traffic, without specifying whether his figures include bots and spam.
Potential Impact on Follower Counts
X’s Safety team acknowledges that the wide-reaching bot sweep may result in reductions in follower counts for some users. This is a common occurrence during such initiatives, as the platform aims to eliminate spam and bot accounts. X has provided a link to a form where users inadvertently affected by the sweep can appeal the decision.
As X embarks on this significant initiative to combat spam and bots, users can expect to see changes in their follower counts and a more secure, authentic experience on the platform. The company’s commitment to tackling this issue, along with the appointment of new safety team leaders, demonstrates its dedication to providing a safe and reliable social media environment for its users.
5 Comments
Bots beware, the reckoning is upon us—real engagement or bust!
Oh, the purge begins! Who’s ready for a real follower count?
Finally, a cleanup act we’ve been waiting for! Let’s see who’s left standing.
Looks like it’s time to find out who’s actually interested in our content, strap in!
Grace Turner: Well, if your follower count drops, at least you know who’s genuinely tuning in—silver linings, right?