Elon Musk has admitted a flaw in X’s algorithm.
The CEO claimed the algorithm is not currently “smart enough” to decipher if users agree or disagree with posts.
Elon Musk has long emphasized the importance of giving users more control over what they see.

In a rare sign of technological vulnerability, Elon Musk has admitted to a flaw in X’s algorithm following an influx of posts supporting Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

Musk claimed that the algorithm is not currently “smart enough” to recognize when you share content with friends in a negative light, leading users to see increased posts from content they do not like.

X’s Algorithm Surprisingly Unfit for Outrage

In a post on X, Musk explained that his social media platform’s algorithm assumes that “if you interact with content, you want to see more of that content.”

“One of the strongest signals is if you forward 𝕏 posts to friends, it assumes you like that content a lot, because it takes effort to forward,“ he said. “Unfortunately, if the actual reason you forwarded the content to friends was because you were outraged by it, we are currently not smart enough to realize that.“

In further admissions of this algorithmic flaw, Musk posted on X that some of his friends had been saying their “feed had become more toxic lately.”

“Turns out they had been sharing examples of toxic posts with each other, which makes the algorithm think you love toxic posts,“ Musk said.

Musk Has Continued to Revamp X’s Algorithm

Since Musk’s takeover of X, formerly Twitter, in October 2022, the billionaire has emphasized the importance of giving users more control over what they see.

At the end of 2023, Musk rolled out a “major update“ to X’s recommendation algorithm, which he claimed would help to surface smaller accounts. The change was meant to help expose users to new accounts they would find interesting but have not seen.

Musk has also promoted features like the ability to toggle between “For You“ and “Following“ feeds, letting users choose between an algorithm-driven timeline or a chronological one. He also mentioned giving users more granular control over the algorithm’s influence on their feed.

X Shutdown in Brazil

On Friday, Aug. 30, the Brazilian Supreme Court ordered the immediate suspension of X in the country, ending a multi-month legal battle with the platform.

The dispute centered around X’s refusal to appoint a legal representative in the country, as mandated by Brazilian law, following the removal of the previous representative under threat of arrest.

The legal standoff was part of a broader conflict between X and Brazilian authorities over content moderation, particularly regarding posts linked to far-right political figures and misinformation.

In his ruling, Supreme Court Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes wrote that X had contributed to “an environment of total impunity and lawlessness in Brazilian social networks, including during the 2024 local elections.”

Musk has criticized the ruling publicly and called for Moraes to be impeached for stifling the country’s free speech.

Prominent US hedge fund manager Bill Ackman claimed the shutdown will make Brazil an “uninvestable market“.

“China committed similar acts leading to capital flight and a collapse in valuations. The same will happen to Brazil unless they quickly retreat from these illegal acts,“ Ackman wrote on X.