A study published by science journal Nature has examined the impact of Elon Musk’s changes to X/Twitter, and outlines how X’s algorithm shapes political attitudes, and leans towards conservative perspectives.
The results are no surprise, given that various other studies have indicated similar leanings and influence. But this latest report, based on an analysis of nearly 5,000 participants, provides large-scale insight into X’s political persuasiveness, and how the platform’s approach under Musk has turned into a key tool for driving Republican and Independent support in the U.S.
The study was conducted in 2023, around six months after Elon Musk took over at the app. Participants, who were all X users already, were paid to stick to either the chronological X feed or the algorithm-powered For You feed for seven weeks.
Based on this sample set, participants were measured on how they felt about key political issues before and after exposure. The results showed that those who were on the algorithmic feed leaned much further towards conservative viewpoints.
As per the report: “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. 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.”
As demonstrated in these charts, with the top line being users who were exposed to the algorithmic feed, and the bottom being the chronological feed users, users who were shown the algorithm-defined feed ended up using X more, and leaning further towards conservative viewpoints, while those on the chronological timeline saw no real change in their attitudes as a result.
Which, again, is no surprise.
Last year, Sky News conducted a month-long experiment on X to measure political bias and found that X “exhibits a significant algorithmic bias toward promoting far-right and extreme content.”
The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post have also published their own separate analysis reports, both of which demonstrate how X now amplifies right-leaning political content over left-leaning perspectives. In addition, Queensland University published a report that found X’s algorithm pushes pro-Republican accounts.
The balance of research clearly indicates a level of political leaning in X’s systems, though that may also be influenced by its bias against what the platform considers mainstream media, and sowing distrust in established media outlets.
Musk himself has been a leader in this., A separate report by Nature found that Musk regularly questions the validity of media reports via his X account, which is the most followed single profile in the app. Musk amplifies his opinion to 234.8 million followers, while reports also indicate that X’s algorithm seeks to boost the reach of Musk’s posts specifically, further boosting his influence.
In some ways, Musk himself could be the best indicator of X’s political leanings, and potentially, the most significant single factor that drives opinion in the app. And with Musk clearly leaning towards the conservative, it seems logical that X will also lean this way.
Also worth noting is the value of the algorithmic feed, with those using the algorithmic stream using X more as a result. If you ever wanted to know why social platforms don’t just let users view their timelines in chronological order, and view only posts from the accounts that they choose to follow, this would be your answer, though that can also lead to manipulation and influence via algorithmic means.
Maybe that should be an angle that should be explored. If platforms were forced to eliminate algorithmic amplification entirely it could reduce political influence.
