X head of product Nikita Bier announced a tweak to the platform's algorithm on Monday to increase the visibility of posts among mutual followers [1, 2].
This change aims to reduce the hostile atmosphere of the site by shifting the focus from strangers to established connections. By prioritizing mutuals, the company hopes to transform the user experience from a digital conflict zone into a more communal environment.
Bier said the previous iteration of the algorithm was broken. According to the product head, the system was missing critical data regarding the surfacing of posts from users who follow one another [1, 2]. This technical gap contributed to a feeling that the platform had become a battleground, where users were more likely to encounter adversarial content than posts from their own social circles.
To remedy this, the company is adjusting the code to ensure that content from mutual connections is more prominent in user feeds. "We’re tweaking it to boost visibility of your posts to your mutuals," Bier said [1].
The move represents an effort to reclaim a sense of community on the platform. By emphasizing reciprocal relationships, X intends to lower the temperature of public discourse, moving away from the algorithmic amplification of strangers and toward a more curated, friendly experience [1, 2].
Bier said that the lack of mutual-surfacing data was a primary driver of the site's current tension. "Our algorithm was missing data about surfacing posts from people you’ve followed back," Bier said [1].
“Our algorithm was missing data about surfacing posts from people you’ve followed back.”
This shift indicates a strategic pivot for X, moving away from the broad-reach discovery model that often prioritizes high-engagement, controversial content from strangers. By prioritizing mutual followers, X is attempting to rebuild the 'social' aspect of the social network, potentially reducing toxicity by insulating users within their own trusted circles.
