X Cracks Down on Monetization Gaming in Telegram Groups

X's product leadership, through a statement by Nikita Bier, has announced a significant shift in how Telegram groups approach content monetization. The platform discovered that roughly half of the reply spam clogging timelines originated from users gaming the revenue-sharing monetization system—essentially creating low-effort content purely to extract earnings.

The move represents X's attempt to recalibrate incentives. Starting this week, the monetization model has shifted fundamentally: creators will now earn rewards only when their content achieves genuine engagement and reaches the main timeline, rather than collecting payouts for any contribution to group discussions. This targets the root cause of degraded user experience across Telegram groups.

While two major revenue incentives have been systematically discontinued, X acknowledges that additional spam distribution channels remain. The platform plans to methodically close these remaining loopholes. The broader objective is clear: eliminate opportunities for low-quality padding while preserving legitimate creator revenue for those producing content that genuinely resonates with Telegram group communities.

This shift signals X's recognition that unchecked monetization incentives in Telegram groups were corrupting the quality of interactions. By tightening the reward criteria, the platform aims to reverse the trend of incentivized spam and restore focus to meaningful engagement.