Key facts
- X's algorithm was modified to prioritize posts from mutual followers.
- The change aims to reduce the feeling of the platform being a 'battleground'.
- The update is intended to facilitate the formation of interest-based clusters.
- Recent changes by X include creator compensation adjustments and a video editor.
X has implemented an algorithm tweak designed to increase the visibility of posts from users' mutual connections, according to Nikita Bier, head of product. This adjustment aims to make the platform feel more like a community by reducing the prominence of content from unfamiliar voices.
Bier stated that the change was made because the algorithm was previously missing data that would have surfaced friends more frequently in replies, leading to the platform feeling like a "battleground." The modification is also expected to help interest-based clusters form more easily, a feature many users have requested.
This algorithmic adjustment follows a series of recent changes by X, many of which appear to be focused on enhancing its role as a hub for creators. Earlier this year, the platform altered its compensation structure to incentivize original content over aggregation, and it recently introduced a video editor to simplify content creation on the platform.
The move by X comes as Meta's Threads has also been making algorithmic changes aimed at community building, differentiating itself from its main competitor. Threads recently launched a "Your Algo" feature allowing users to control their feed and has reached 500 million monthly active users.