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Elon Musk Reveals Details Of Latest X Plan To Fight Bots
The changes come as many users feel the site is becoming swamped by hordes of fake accounts and trolls.
After a recent post by CEO Elon Musk it seems that changes are incoming at X, the social site formerly known as Twitter.
Musk says a new system to rid the platform of bots and trolls is “underway”, while asking users to reply to his post or ping his official account @XEng if their legitimate accounts are suspended in error.
System purge of bots & trolls underway.
Please reply to me or @XEng if legitimate accounts are suspended.
X Corp will be tracing the people responsible and bringing the full force of the law to bear upon them.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 4, 2024
“X Corp will be tracing the people responsible and bringing the full force of the law to bear upon them,” Elon Musk said, without providing further details.
The announcement comes after X’s appointment of a new head of brand safety and advertiser solutions in what it said was a bid to make the platform “a better, safer space for everyone”.
Automated accounts have long been a problem for the site and regularly reply to posts in a nonsensical or unrelated manner. Recent developments in AI make the bots harder to spot, though many users have a general feeling something is “off” with the platform, which often appears completely void of real human interaction.
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The latest round of bot-fighting measures will be a “significant, proactive initiative to eliminate accounts that violate [its] Rules against platform manipulation and spam,” X’s team announced yesterday, adding that they are “casting a wide net to ensure X remains secure and free of bots”.
Musk’s bot and troll crackdown coincides with the return of the controversial blue checkmark system on Wednesday evening. Users who had blue checks reinstated were told that they had been given a complimentary Premium subscription because they were considered “an influential member of the community.”
The outspoken SpaceX and Tesla CEO posted details last week that accounts with over 2,500 verified followers will have blue checks reinstated for free, while those with 5,000+ followers will get a complimentary $16-per-month Premium+ plan.
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Influencer Growth Fuels Saudi Creator Economy Surge
The Kingdom’s creator economy grew over 32% in Q1 2025, fueled by TikTok, UGC, and cost-per-action (CPA) influencer models.
Saudi Arabia’s creator economy saw a significant 32.37% growth in the first quarter of 2025, driven by an uptick in influencer marketing, content-driven e-commerce, and the increasing influence of user-generated content (UGC). These insights come from a recent study by Admitad and the Stllr Network.
Much of this momentum is coming from video-based platforms, where brands are leaning on creators who feel more relatable than polished ad campaigns. The trend shows a clear preference for authenticity, as audiences gravitate toward content that feels real and personal.
Mohannad Alzahrani, Co-founder and VP KSA of Stllr Network, highlighted the shift: “The rise of user-generated content (UGC) is changing the way brands engage with consumers. Audiences trust real creators more than traditional advertising, making UGC a key driver of authenticity and sales”.
TikTok remains the dominant platform in this space, reportedly reaching 88% of the Saudi population. It also showed the sharpest rise in influencer-led transactions. Other platforms followed with solid, if less dramatic, growth: X was up 17%, Instagram increased by 12%, and Telegram by 10%.
In terms of content niches, beauty led the pack with a 56% growth rate, followed by lifestyle at 45.8% and fashion at 18.2%. Tech content also showed healthy traction at 10.6%, while entertainment, food, fitness, parenting, and gaming posted smaller — but still positive — gains.
Also Read: Top E-Commerce Websites In The Middle East In 2025
The report analyzed more than 300,000 influencer-driven purchases. These efforts translated into a 15% year-on-year jump in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and a 5% increase in the number of orders in 2024. Influencers themselves are seeing the benefit, with average order values hitting $54 and creator earnings rising by 14%.
A noticeable trend is the move away from fixed-rate deals. More influencers in Saudi Arabia are embracing hybrid compensation models — especially cost-per-action (CPA) setups that tie their earnings directly to performance.
As Anna Gidirim, CEO of Admitad, explains, “The CPA model brings much-needed transparency to influencer marketing. Brands only pay for actual results, and influencers benefit by securing long-term partnerships while offering their audiences exclusive promo codes and special discounts”.
However, the ecosystem still shows a gender imbalance. The data indicates that 63% of creators in Saudi Arabia are men, while women account for just 37%.
Influencer Growth Fuels Saudi Creator Economy Surge
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