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Blogger Ben Werdmuller has discussed an article in Nature about the political impact of the algorithm(s) used by X (formerly known as Twitter). The gist is that the use of the algorithms against X's users tends to shift about 5% of them in a specific direction. That's more than enough to tip an election one way or another especially since the damage seems persistent and lasts even after exposure ceases.
Feed algorithms are widely suspected to influence political attitudes. However, previous evidence from switching off the algorithm on Meta platforms found no political effects. Here we present results from a 2023 field experiment on Elon Musk's platform X shedding light on this puzzle. We assigned active US-based users randomly to either an algorithmic or a chronological feed for 7 weeks, measuring political attitudes and online behaviour. Switching from a chronological to an algorithmic feed increased engagement and shifted political opinion towards more conservative positions, particularly regarding policy priorities, perceptions of criminal investigations into Donald Trump and views on the war in Ukraine. In contrast, switching from the algorithmic to the chronological feed had no comparable effects. Neither switching the algorithm on nor switching it off significantly affected affective polarization or self-reported partisanship. To investigate the mechanism, we analysed users' feed content and behaviour. We found that the algorithm promotes conservative content and demotes posts by traditional media. Exposure to algorithmic content leads users to follow conservative political activist accounts, which they continue to follow even after switching off the algorithm, helping explain the asymmetry in effects. These results suggest that initial exposure to X's algorithm has persistent effects on users' current political attitudes and account-following behaviour, even in the absence of a detectable effect on partisanship.
It should be added that the effect has already been seen in multiple countries. For example, the elections in Turkey were affected with outright censorship, within X. And the impact from the CPP's Bytedance's Tiktok is likely even more severe, not to mention multiple experiments in manipulation in Meta's properties like Facebook.
Journal Reference: Gauthier, G., Hodler, R., Widmer, P. et al. The political effects of X's feed algorithm. Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10098-2
Previously:
(2026) How Screwed is Generation Alpha, and the Generations Which Will Depend on Them?
(2025) European Union Orders X to Hand Over Algorithm Documents
(2024) Six Months Ago NPR Left Twitter. The Effects Have Been Negligible
(2023) Utah Sues Tiktok For Getting Children 'Addicted' To Its Algorithm
(2022) Leaked Documents Reveal Instagram Was Pushing Girls Towards Content That Harmed Mental Health
(2022) Musk Buying Twitter Is Not About Freedom of Speech
... and more
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Thexalon on Friday February 27, @05:24PM (2 children)
1. Stop reading it.
2. Encourage other people to stop reading it.
This idea that we should be paying attention to it and every bit of drama that occurs on it is silly and wrong.
"Think of how stupid the average person is. Then realize half of 'em are stupider than that." - George Carlin
(Score: 2, Touché) by recourse on Friday February 27, @06:46PM
If advertising and propaganda didn't work people wouldn't do it. Its easy to say "don't read this" but life isn't that fucking simple.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday February 27, @09:17PM
I was going to say: I signed up for a Twitter account back in antiquity, never really "got it" but I'd check it out occasionally.
Then it became Xitter. Meh.
Then it went full-tilt whatever it is - and I deliberately shut the account.
Then Google started sending me "news" from X, and I started telling Google "Show me no more stories from this source" - HUNDREDS OF TIMES. Google won't block X as a whole - whatever happened to "Don't be Evil"? - they only allow you to block individual authors on X, then they send you ever more targeted "sincere" content from authors on X they "know you will like" but every opening of an X story comes with a prompt to install the X app... Get a CLUE!
It's the same with AT&T salespeople, the double barreled brush off the minute they speak the words A T and... "yes, I know who you are, you should know who I am by now, mark me in your contact form: Hostile, strongly opposed to doing any business whatsoever with AT&T or any affiliates. Take me off all your sales and calling lists, add me to your "Do not calls" - consider this notice that continued harassment may and likely will be pursued for damages in small claims court at the going rate of ... $500 per instance last time I checked." If they persist, and some do, cut them off again "let me go get a pen and paper ... leisurely ... yes, would you please write down your name, the name of your supervisor and any other pertinent identifying information?" Pulls out cellphone, starts video recording. They haven't come back for more than 10 years after that round.
Nobody makes anybody log on to X. Similarly, I haven't quite closed my Facebook account - there's a group in there, only in there, that I occasionally want to communicate with, I've been in there once in the past 14 months.
If everybody who "hates Xitter" would stop using Xitter, it would die faster.
🌻🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2, Interesting) by pTamok on Friday February 27, @05:38PM (2 children)
I like to think of the entity as "Chitter".
The letter 𝕏 resembles a Greek letter "𝚾" (Chi), so instead of Twitter, I remember it as "Chitter". This has a dictionary definition [wiktionary.org] of "To make a series of high-pitched sounds; to twitter, chirp or chatter." which leads to a nice compound word 'chitter-chatter' [wiktionary.org], which is described as "Talk about trivial or nonsensical matters; inconsequential or incessant conversation.", which seems apposite to me.
In addition, some people pronounce the 'Ch' softly, as in 'champagne'.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 27, @06:09PM
Pronounced "SHITTER"
Which is what the "SHITS" there belong.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Friday February 27, @09:22PM
I believe the X is most appropriately pronounced as in Mayan: She or Shi. In the Yucatan they call it Meh-Shi-Co. Shitter, fits.
🌻🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday February 27, @09:29PM
Heather Marsh gave some good talks around late 2016 / early 2017 focusing on the toxicity of Twitter's algorithms, how they rewarded attention whores, how that drove (drives) engagement-bait content, etc.
She kinda went weird after that, still had some good ideas, but definitely is lacking traction in terms of actually accomplishing anything.
Kudos to her for staying engaged, I just look at the whole mess and acknowledge: I don't have the juice to fix that.
🌻🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Spamalope on Saturday February 28, @12:32AM (1 child)
I've notices push politics on Reddit, Imgur, FB, Youtube.
Is Twitter/X really unique?
I seemed like they all claimed impartiality not because they were, but because they could manipulate better...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28, @01:37AM
Be happy solentnews only has a handful of nutters that can (mostly) be ignored.
(Score: 3, Informative) by DadaDoofy on Saturday February 28, @02:18PM (7 children)
"That's more than enough to tip an election one way or another especially since the damage seems persistent"
Funny, I don't ever recall the editors of this site publishing articles that characterize it as "damage" when algorithms are used to advance their far-left politics. Like the these, for instance.
https://nypost.com/2023/05/24/how-google-manipulates-search-to-favor-liberals-and-tip-elections/ [nypost.com]
https://maloneinstitute.org/blog/google-has-usurped-democracy [maloneinstitute.org]
This is being at least the third hit piece on Elon Musk in less than 24 hours, I think it's only humane that we all chip in on MDS treatment for Hubie and Janrinok.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28, @05:10PM (6 children)
(Score: 3, Insightful) by DadaDoofy on Saturday February 28, @05:52PM (5 children)
No, the only thing I'm claiming is the editors here are hypocrites.
I don't think either side is bad for doing it. It's all free speech under our 1st amendment. In a free country, "manipulators" are free to make their pitch, while the citizens are given the respect to decide for themselves whether or not to buy it. As grownups, we don't need an authoritarian government to protect us from ourselves.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28, @06:25PM (1 child)
> As grownups, we don't need an authoritarian government to protect us from ourselves.
Then please do explain why you accept (and even appear to demand) an authoritarian government.
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by DadaDoofy on Saturday February 28, @07:12PM
LOL When it's a government that puts the interests of the American people first, it's authoritarian, fascist and racist - run by a Nazi king. When it's a government that pretends it's run by a feeble brain-dead figurehead, but is actually controlled by an unseen cadre of deep-state actors with an autopen, it's "democracy".
(Score: 3, Touché) by janrinok on Saturday February 28, @08:15PM (1 child)
What has this got to do with the editors? They present the stories from user's submissions. If you want an alternative viewpoint you should try submitting a technically-linked story that reflects such a viewpoint.
The submitter of this story is taking part in this discussion.
[nostyle RIP 06 May 2025]
(Score: 2, Disagree) by janrinok on Saturday February 28, @08:25PM
Ooops, pressed the key too early, The submitter of this story is taking part in this discussion by presenting it to the community to garner their views. He hasn't given any political bias to support or refute the premise stated.
You are arguing one viewpoint, and someone else is arguing another. Isn't that the very reason for this site?
I am not sure what your comments have to do with algorithms on social media though...
[nostyle RIP 06 May 2025]
(Score: 2) by Tork on Saturday February 28, @09:20PM
Heh. So if an article about the lefty "Manipulators" comes along are you then going to balance it out by linking to an Elon story like this? I'm asking because lotsa ppl that whine about MDS are really just sensitive fans of his, and I don't actually know where you stand on that. He is a public-facing mover and shaker, after all.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 2) by jman on Saturday February 28, @02:22PM
If only there were laws again election interference, that actually got enforced.