Reacción a "Study shows X's (Twitter) algorithm moves users towards more conservative political positions"

The study is methodologically sound and represents one of the most rigorous independent field experiments on algorithmic feeds conducted to date. The randomised design and combination of survey data with behavioural traces provide credible causal evidence that exposure to X's algorithmic feed can influence certain political attitudes in a relatively short period of time. However, it is important to note that the observed effects appear to operate through increased engagement and amplification of content, rather than through direct ideological persuasion. The algorithm promotes highly engaging political content—which, in this specific context, happens to be more conservative—and users subsequently adapt their following behaviour, leading to persistent exposure effects.

In terms of the broader literature, these findings should be interpreted as complementary rather than contradictory to previous large-scale experiments on Meta platforms, which found limited political effects. The key difference lies in platform dynamics and business models: algorithmic systems are optimised for attention and engagement, not political outcomes. When engagement-based ranking amplifies already prominent political narratives, subsequent attitude changes may arise as a by-product of the attention economy rather than evidence of intrinsic ideological orientation.

A significant limitation is that the experiment focuses on active users in the US during a specific political period; therefore, the direction of ideological effects cannot be generalised to all countries or platforms. In other information ecosystems, engagement optimisation could plausibly amplify different political orientations depending on local media supply and user networks.