Social network X (formerly Twitter) has apparently changed its algorithm in favor of some specific content. According to a new study, the accounts that benefit from these changes are mainly oriented towards Elon Musk and Republicans.
The aforementioned research Timothy Graham from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Mark Andreevich from Monash University. This research shows significant changes in user interaction statistics with content related to Mask and conservative accounts since mid-July 2024.
The changes implemented coincide with Musk’s public support for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Researchers analyzed Musk’s posts before and after July 13 (July 24) and found that the views of his posts increased by 138% and their reposting increased by 238%.
The graphical charts of the conducted research also confirm the findings and show a sharp increase in engagement with mask content compared to other accounts. It should be noted that in the reviewed time frame, the interaction statistics of all users with Platform X had increased; But the statistics of the mask have been much higher than the average. Other republican accounts that were examined in this study, to a lesser extent, experienced an increase in user engagement with their content.
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Research results Graham and Andreevich It is consistent with previous reports from the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, which pointed to the possible bias of X’s algorithms in favor of the right-wing. However, the two researchers acknowledged the limitations of their analysis by noting that they did not have access to the Academic X API. In fact, although the two are confident in the data collected, they do not rule out the possibility that some posts were not considered due to existing restrictions.
This is not the first time that Musk has been accused of changing the X algorithm for his own benefit. Critics argue that his control over X may undermine public trust in the platform’s impartiality.
