Elon Musk promises “major update” in recommendation algorithm of X to highlight smaller accounts

X will get a big upgrade to its recommendation algorithm that will potentially give a big boost to smaller accounts in gaining engagement on the platform, reveals Elon Musk.

Elon Musk has said that the next open-source algorithm change for X will bring delight to smaller accounts. (AFP)

Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter) has recently revealed that the recommendation algorithm of the platform will be receiving a major update, which will result in a visibility boost for small accounts and posts outside of a user's friends and followers network. Lately, X has been receiving new features at an accelerated rate, many of which are targeted towards attracting creators to post original content. This new algorithm change is believed to be a similar attempt by the social media platform.

Musk posted on X, “A major update to the recommendation algorithm is rolling out over the next few days. This will help surface smaller accounts and posts outside of your friend-follows network. As always, this will be made open source and undergo continuous improvement”. While a date for the rollout of the features has not been mentioned, it can potentially be released by the end of this week. A gradual rollout is expected, meaning users across the globe will slowly be introduced to this algorithm change.

X to give a boost to smaller accounts with algorithm change

Musk did not mention any definite number that will categorize an account as “small” to be eligible for this push. However, several reports have mentioned that this is likely aimed towards creators, which means the lower ceiling will be kept at a considerably high point so that individual accounts with a few hundred to a couple of thousand followers do not end up spamming user timelines.

X has also added other features to become more creator-friendly in the last few months. These include posting longer text and video posts, editing posts, ad revenue sharing, and more. In fact, in September, CEO Linda Yaccarino revealed in a post that the company has paid out nearly 20 million dollars to creators.

As per a leak from X's recent all-hands meeting with employees, Musk revealed that the company is working on features around segments such as live streaming, audio/video calling, recruitment, news distribution, banking, shopping, dating, and possibly more.