The political effects of X's feed algorithm
A randomized field experiment conducted on X (formerly Twitter) in 2023 examined the political effects of the platform’s feed algorithm. Researchers assigned active US-based users randomly to either an algorithmic or chronological feed for 7 weeks, measuring political attitudes and online behaviour. The study found that 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. The algorithm promotes conservative content and demotes posts by traditional media. Participants exposed to the algorithmic feed were more likely to follow conservative political activist accounts, which they continued to follow even after switching off the algorithm. In contrast, switching from the algorithmic to the chronological feed had no comparable effects on political attitudes, suggesting that initial exposure to the algorithm has persistent effects on users’ political attitudes and account-following behaviour.