According to analysis led by Australian researcher Timothy Graham, from the Queensland University of Technology, the accounts of popular personalities that he targeted and who are identified with the Republican Party benefited more from this change than the accounts identified with Democrats. In addition to the account of Elon Musk himself. The period covered by the analysis is from January 1 to October 25, 2024 and includes 56,000 messages.
And we don’t only find political content, since among the content relayed during these three months contained false information on the crime rate, on the number of immigrants, on inflation or on hurricanes.
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“Overall,” it reads, the results imply “that specific visibility benefits were selectively applied, raising important questions about the potential impact, in public discourse, of adjustments to the algorithms, and on the “neutrality” of social media platforms”.
The word “reach” refers to the number of times a message has been seen, shared or “liked”. In Musk’s case, it is the shares indicator that wins, with a jump of 238% after July 13. In the case of Republicans, and only them, we observe a simple to double increase in the number of “views” and a simple to triple increase in the number of shares.
This is not the first time in this election that such manipulation of the algorithm has been suggested. The Washington Post published in October that posts from Republicans were more likely to go viral, and the Wall Street Journal had revealed the same month that newcomers to the platform were inundated with pro-Trump “political content.” A year earlier, Musk himself suggested that he would have pressured his programmers to adjust the algorithm in order to promote its own messages.
In a comment published a week after the publication of his study – and on election night – Timothy Graham points out that the impressive flow of messages published on X by Musk may seem “chaotic”, but reveals a strategy: on the one hand, “overwhelm the information space” and thus, suck up all the attention of an essential part of the electorate; on the other hand, feeding the conspiracy theory of coordination between Democrats, the media and “Big Tech” to supposedly steal the election.
To promote certain narratives that align with his personal beliefs. This raises important questions about the intersection of wealth, power, and media influence in the democratic process, especially during such a pivotal time as an election.
Guest 1: Dr. Jane Smith, Political Analyst at Harvard University
Website Editor: Dr. Smith, based on the report by Timothy Graham from Queensland University of Technology, his analysis suggests that the social media platform X modified its algorithm in favor of accounts associated with the Republican Party, resulting in increased visibility and reach for their content over their Democratic counterparts. How do you think this could impact the upcoming 2024 US election?
Dr. Smith: It’s a significant concern that social media algorithms are being manipulated to benefit one political party over another. This raises questions about the neutrality of these platforms and the potential for misinformation to spread more easily. If users are only exposed to content that aligns with their political beliefs, it can create an echo chamber that reinforces those views and makes it more difficult for dissenting voices to be heard. In an election, this can lead to voters making decisions based on inaccurate or biased information.
Website Editor: Additionally, the report found that false information regarding crime rates, immigration, inflation, and hurricanes were also spread on the platform. How can we address the issue of misinformation and fake news on social media platforms like X?
Dr. Smith: It’s essential for social media platforms to invest in robust fact-checking systems and ensure that this process is transparent and trusted by users. They need to take steps to reduce the spread of misinformation by demoting or removing false content and providing clear context when users share or engage with it. It’s also crucial for users to become more media literate and question the sources of information they encounter online. This requires education and awareness campaigns to help people understand the difference between reliable and unreliable sources.
Website Editor: The article also mentions Elon Musk’s influence on the platform. As we approach the election, his tweets have been known to go viral and increase engagement. Do you think there’s any truth to the allegations that he’s using the platform to promote his own agenda?
Dr. Smith: There is certainly reason to be concerned about Elon Musk’s influence on X. As the owner of the platform, he has a significant amount of power over its content moderation policies and how they are implemented. His actions so far suggest that he may be using his position
