Elon Musk, billionaire owner of X Corp., announced upcoming adjustments to the algorithm of social network X aimed at promoting certain types of content. The declaration has drawn criticism from users over fears that it might open the door to censorship.
Algorithm tweak coming soon to promote more informational/entertaining content. We will publish the changes to @XEng.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 4, 2025
Our goal is to maximize unregretted user-seconds. Too much negativity is being pushed that technically grows user time, but not unregretted user time.
According to Musk, the changes are designed to boost informational and entertaining content. He emphasized that the algorithm update would be deployed in the near future.
Musk explained the need for these measures by pointing to what he calls the “negativity” that users allegedly consume. Additionally, the X Corp. team is working on a dynamic system that will allow more personalized delivery of content to each user.
Some users consider the planned changes “unnecessary,” noting that the audience already has ways to control the content they see, such as muting or closing feeds. Others have called on Musk to define exactly what constitutes “negative content.”
Meanwhile, some users claim the platform is now more heavily censored than under its previous leadership.
“I’m increasingly worried about Elon’s push for censorship. This will never end. First it was monetization, and now it’s algorithm changes. He won’t stop until he’s shielded from criticism and only promotes those he agrees with,” one commenter warned.
Musk completed his purchase of Twitter (now X) in October 2022. At the time, he promised to turn the platform into a “space of unrestricted interactive activity,” end censorship, and reduce the number of bots.