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Twitter recommendation algorithm source code has been posted to GitHub

Elon Musk has shared the algorithm that Twitter uses to recommend tweets.

Donovan Erskine

March 31, 2023 12:38 PM

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One of the many promises Elon Musk made after taking over Twitter was that he would open source Twitter’s algorithm, something that the social media company notoriously kept private before his tenure. Now, Musk has held up on his end of the deal. The CEO has posted Twitter’s recommendation algorithm to GitHub, allowing any and everyone to see the internal process that Twitter uses to determine what tweets show up on your timeline.

Elon Musk tweeted earlier today that Twitter’s recommendation algorithm was officially live on GitHub, a service used to share code and software. The GitHub page features multiple folders of data and information, including a flow chart that illustrates exactly what factors determine what tweets get recommendations. Some of the filters that Twitter uses are author diversity, visibility, content balance, and feedback fatigue. These filters are combined with ads and who to follow to produce the timeline, the stream of tweets users see while scrolling through Twitter.

Twitter also made a blog post that provides some more insight into the process.

Elon Musk’s decision to reveal Twitter’s recommendation algorithm is part of his initiative to make the company’s internal operations more transparent. It will be interesting to see if the CEO continues to release previously private information about the social media company. For more Twitter news, stick with Shacknews.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_