A study found that Xs algorithm now loves two things: Republicans and Elon Musk
Elon Musks X may have tweaked its algorithm to boost his account, along with those of other conservative-leaning users, starting around the time he announced his support of Donald Trumps presidential campaign. Thats according to a new study published by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), which found that Musks posts in particular were suddenly much more popular.The studys authors QUT associate professor in digital media Timothy Graham and Monash University communications and media studies professor Mark Andrejevic first looked at Musks engagement before and after his July endorsement of Trump. They report that starting around July 13th, Musks posts received 138 percent more views and 238 percent more retweets than before that date.A comparison of Musks posts views versus those of other accounts, before and after an apparent July change. Screenshot: QUT studyMusks numbers outpaced the general engagement trends observed across the platform, they concluded. (This paper isnt the first time its been suggested that X adjusted its algorithm to specifically boost Musks account.) The researchers also found that other Republican-leaning accounts they examined saw similar boosts that started in July, albeit to a lesser degree.RelatedThe studys results are similar to other recently reported findings by The Wall Street JournalThe Washington Postcut off access to its Academic API. They add that although they dont see indications of missing data, theres no guarantee that 100% of posts have been collected.