X to allow political ads for the first time since 2019

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, will allow political ads heading into the 2024 election cycle for the first time since 2019, the company announced Tuesday. 

The update is the latest change, including that made to the brand name, made since billionaire Elon Musk bought the platform for $44 billion in October. 

While allowing paid political ads back, the platform will enforce policies that aim to combat the spread of false information. 

“This will include prohibiting the promotion of false or misleading content, including false or misleading information intended to undermine public confidence in an election, while seeking to preserve free and open political discourse,” the company said in a blog post. 

In addition, X will be expanding its safety and elections teams to focus on combating the spread of manipulated media and inauthentic accounts, according to the announcement. 

The update comes after X faced fierce criticism from civil society groups about Musk’s decisions to roll back certain content moderation measures as well as to reinstate the accounts of formerly banned figures, including former President Trump. 

The decision to allow paid political ads reverses one made under former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in 2019. The platform decided to stop accepting political ads amid controversy over how rival social media platform, Facebook, declined to remove an ad from then-President Trump’s campaign attacking now-President Biden. 

X’s change in policy means the platform may again be a critical source for politicians in the lead up to the 2024 presidential race.