X, formerly and still regarded as Twitter, has done something once again that users are not particularly happy about. Adding to the long list of things that the platform has been criticized for, it seems that the social site is displaying ads without its usual tag indicating that it's a paid promotion.
X is At It Again
Several users have reported that they have seen posts on X that appear to be normal unpaid content, yet are obviously paid promotions. With the ad label missing, X users are led to believe that they were seeing posts from people they did not follow.
The social networking site is yet to address whether this is a new feature in the platform or if it's merely a bug, but both regular users and industry groups have been seeing these stealth ads for several days, which suggests that it might be done on purpose.
However, X is also short on the communications department, which means that it's quite possible that the company is really just missing a flaw. Regardless, this could spell legal trouble again, fueling another battle with the Federal Trade Commission.
Watchdog group Check My Ads CEO, Nandini Jammi has shared examples of the unlabeled ads on her X account, informing users on how to track the issue, as well as taking appropriate screenshots and reporting the said ads, as reported by Engadget.
For the screenshots, users should show the post itself, as well as open the drop-down menu, and take the screenshot again. It can be sent to the nonprofit's email, submit@checkmyads.org, along with how they are using the platform.
X hasn't been doing well ever since Musk took over after the acquisition. Since then, several incidents and changes have been implemented, which has sent advertisers running for the hills. This is a major problem given that ad sales are X's main revenue stream.
Ad Sales Since Musk's Takeover
Many would argue that the first mistake the Tesla CEO made was firing the majority of its staff, which made up 75% of the company's workforce, including those who make sure the platform is running smoothly. Since then, problems on the social media site have been stacking up.
The company has been adding new features that actually benefit the platform, but it's not enough for people to look past the fires they're still trying to put out. X even announced that it's giving out $250 in ad credits to small to medium businesses.
However, the businesses need to have the X Blue verification and spend $1,000 in ads first before they can get the free ad credit, according to its business site. That effort may not be enough to make up for Musk's previous reaction to advertisers leaving the platform.
The X owner once blamed activists for pressuring advertisers to leave the social site. In response to that, Musk threatened the clients with "thermonuclear name & shame." As far as tactics to bring clients back, it seems counterproductive to threaten them to come back.
