Sponsored posts on X now get clear paid partnership labels
What's the story
X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has launched a new "Paid Partnership" label for sponsored posts. The move is aimed at giving creators a native disclosure tool to comply with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines. Until now, creators had to rely on hashtags like #ad to indicate sponsored content. The feature was announced by Nikita Bier, X's head of product.
User-friendly tool
Label can be added retrospectively
The new "Paid Partnership" label comes as a simple toggle that creators can use to disclose their posts. The label appears directly below the content of the post, making it clear for users. It can also be added retrospectively, giving creators a chance to update older sponsored posts and meet compliance standards. This feature is in line with FTC regulations requiring influencers and creators to clearly disclose paid relationships with brands.
Platform update
Update part of X's broader creator strategy
By introducing a native disclosure option, X hopes to simplify compliance and reduce ambiguity around sponsored posts. A standardized label could also make it easier for users to identify paid promotions without having to scan captions for hashtags. The update comes as part of X's ongoing efforts to attract and retain creators through monetization features like ad-revenue sharing and paid creator subscriptions.
Reputational challenges
Challenges remain for X amid push for creator tools
Despite these efforts, X has continued to face reputational challenges. The platform has been under fire over its AI chatbot Grok, which has been embroiled in controversy for inappropriate outputs. The Elon Musk-owned platform is currently being investigated in the US and abroad over the behavior of the AI agent.