@whattofix.tech
whattofix.tech is a tech policy and accountability nonprofit, moving the conversation beyond problems into actionable diagnoses and solutions. Pioneering research into social media monetization practices since 2019.
At WHAT TO FIX, we've been researching social media monetization (mal)practices since 2019.
Take a look at our transparency portal: monetization.wtf 👀
More on our investigations: www.whattofix.tech/blog/investi...
As we told the French MFA, @viginum.bsky.social, and @arcom.fr...
Platforms are not only failing to address foreign interference on their services.
In many case, they are directly incentivizing - and financing - it 💸
We're glad to see #France 🇫🇷 prioritize transparency and oversight of social media monetization in its national strategy against foreign interference.
📃 www.sgdsn.gouv.fr/files/files/...
Take a look at WHAT TO FIX's monetization.wtf for more on the need to regulate the rollout of social media monetization services.
"X now pays contributors for the engagement their posts generate. This has given rise to disingenuous accounts posting inflammatory content for profit, says Jon Roozenbeek of the University of Cambridge."
Read the full story: www.economist.com/britain/2026...
More evidence from The @economist.com of the impact of the the reckless rollout of social media #monetization on the proliferation of harmful content.
It's time regulators get a hang of this and stop platforms from incentivizing -- and financing -- the abuse of their services.
Great investigation by BBC news on yet another niche of harmful content that gets incentivized and proliferates as a result of the reckless rollout of social media #monetization services.
👉 www.bbc.com/news/article...
[🚨 JOB OPPORTUNITY]
We're hiring for a Brussels-based ✨Policy Manager to steer our efforts to get the #EU to regulate social media monetization services.
Full Detail: www.whattofix.tech/publications...
📍 Brussels
Read the full investigation 👉 www.whattofix.tech/publications...
... and take a look at the data for yourself 👉 monetization.wtf/monetization...
We found:
♦️ Dozens of political party pages actively enrolled for revenue redistribution or other monetization services.
♦️ Ads being displayed on political party content
♦️ Various loopholes that can lead political parties to receive contributions violating applicable Campaign Finance Laws.
Using our Meta #MonetizationArchive, we find that platforms' monetization systems are just as inconsistent and inadequate as content moderation systems.
Only this time, we're dealing with money flows — which can have even more far-reaching consequences… 💸
The intersection of money and politics lies at the heart of #Election integrity.
On paper, #Meta 's monetization policies couldn't be clearer: political parties are ineligible for monetization.
And yet…
🚨 NEW INVESTIGATION - How Facebook Offers Monetization Services to Political Parties
Our new research looks at how political parties are turning to social media #monetization as a new source of revenue and financial contributions - and explores implications for #BrandSafety and #Election integrity
Here is what it takes to make money 💸 from X :
♦️ A premium account (Blue check)
♦️ A lot of engagement from other premium account
Could X be *paying* accounts engaged in inauthentic activity?
Could these payouts be the reason these accounts exist in the first place?
www.monetization.wtf/p/x/
X just unveiled a new feature, letting users know which country an account is being managed from.
Unsurprisingly, many large accounts (MAGA or otherwise) don't appear to match their self-description 🤔
🚨 Brussels, today 🚨Ursula! Stand up for Europe – not for Trump’s tech bros!
As the EU unveils its “Digital Omnibus” today, we're rolling out billboards calling on @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu to stop bending to US and Big Tech pressure and enforce our digital laws #StandUpUrsula✊
[🔉Open Letter] We join EDRi and 125 organizations in raising concerns over the forthcoming #EU digital omnibus proposals.
Now is NOT the time to give up hard-won protections for digital human rights.
Read the letter 👉 www.whattofix.tech/publications...
[🔉 OPEN LETTER] We're proud to join 100s of orgs and individuals in calling for a strong, ambitious, and mandatory #COP30 decision upholding #InformationIntegrity on #climate change.
Read the ✉️: www.whattofix.tech/publications...
w/ @caadcoalition.bsky.social @counterhate.com and many more
The report leveraged our #Meta #MonetizationArchive to reveal how several candidates continued to monetize their #Facebook account during the campaign period.
www.whattofix.tech/publications...
As more and more #influencers turn political candidates, we need clearer rules around social media revenue generation.
Check out this new report by Democratic Charkha and the National Alliance of People's Movement, on the #Bihar Assembly #Elections in India.
democraticcharkha.in/investigatio...
"Ms Murphy Madia’s intervention pushed the debate into the transparency of monetised content."
Nice write-up of WTF Policy Lead @sarahmurphymadia.bsky.social's intervention at the European Parliament's @euds.europarl.europa.eu.
Monetization CAN be a boon to info integrity. But not w/o big fixes.
Open letter: we’ve joined more than 40 other organizations and individuals calling for Ireland to reconsider its appointment of a former Meta lobbyist as its new Data Protection Commissioner and to conduct a new, transparent process to appoint an official with a strong human rights protection record
Curious #WhoMakesMoneyFromFacebook?
👀 Take a look for yourself using our Meta #MonetizationArchive - a first-of-its-kind prototype for what transparency around social media #monetization could (and should!) look like.
monetization.wtf/monetization...
The news comes as our own research shows how #Meta consistently violates its own #monetization policies - offering monetization services to (and serving ads in) sanctioned entities, police & military pages, politician, political party, children account & more...
www.whattofix.tech/project/who-...
#Meta's withdrawal from MRC's #BrandSafety audits is a significant shift for the company -- who used to proudly display its #MRC certification as a badge of quality.
👀 important update from @kendrabarnett.bsky.social at @adweek.bsky.social:
#Meta will no longer subject itself to annual #BrandSafety audits from the Media Rating Council ( #MRC ).
Read more 👉 www.adweek.com/media/meta-w...
OPEN LETTER: #EU must safeguard the independence of data protection authorities
Read more: edri.org/our-work/ope...
w @aiforensics.org @alliance4europe.bsky.social @article19europe.bsky.social @bitsoffreedom.bsky.social @hateaid.org @openmarkets.bsky.social @lobbycontrol.bsky.social and many more
We're back at the @europarl.europa.eu 🇪🇺 this afternoon.
Our Policy Lead @sarahmurphymadia.bsky.social will be engaging in an exchange of view with the #EU @euds.europarl.europa.eu
🎬 Watch the live-stream: multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstream...
#Monetization #FIMI #MediaViability
We were so glad for the opportunity to speak about our work on #monetization and its impact on #mediaviability at the Brussels #MFRR summit.
Social monetization is a hugely influential yet under-regulated aspect of our info landscape, w huge implications for media viability and info integrity.
Happy to be back at the European Parliament’s @euds.europarl.europa.eu next
Mon where we’ll talk about, among other things, how social media monetization systems currently UNDERMINE public-interest media, but also abt how such systems could reinforce media viability, even under current regulation.