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A recent investigation by Sky News suggests that X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, exhibits a significant algorithmic bias toward promoting far-right and “extreme” content. The findings indicate that new users, regardless of their initial political leanings, are more likely to encounter right-wing material within their “For You” feeds.
Algorithmic Tendencies Unveiled
The U.K.-based Sky News team conducted an extensive experiment over a month in 2025. They established nine distinct X accounts: three explicitly left-leaning, three right-leaning, and three politically neutral. These accounts were then meticulously monitored to track the content served to them on their “For You” tabs.
Working in collaboration with political analysts and data scientists, the team categorized content based on its political alignment and the use of “extreme” language. The results were stark: accounts designed to be right-wing almost exclusively received right-wing material. More critically, all nine accounts, including the left-leaning and neutral profiles, were shown a disproportionately higher volume of right-wing content compared to left-wing or politically neutral posts. Notably, the three “politically neutral” accounts received approximately twice as much right-wing content as left-wing content.
Engagement vs. Amplification
The study also addressed the possibility that X’s algorithm simply amplifies the most popular or highly engaged-with posts. Sky News presented evidence challenging this notion, demonstrating that even left-leaning political figures with comparable or higher engagement rates and significantly larger follower counts had their posts displayed to users far less frequently. In contrast, figures such as Rupert Lowe, a far-right independent Member of Parliament known for direct interactions and support from X owner Elon Musk, saw their content amplified more readily.
The report, primarily focused on X’s influence within U.K. politics, concluded that the platform’s algorithm appears to favor right-wing content over left-wing content, even when engagement levels are similar. Adding to the gravity of the findings, the study also revealed that at least 50 percent of all content presented to users originated from authors identified as employing “extreme” language, spanning both ends of the political spectrum.
Musk’s Influence and a “Propaganda Machine”?
These revelations arrive amidst Elon Musk’s increasingly aggressive involvement in political discourse, particularly in the U.K., mirroring his active role in the 2024 United States presidential campaign. Despite initial promises of transforming X into a bastion of free speech and open dialogue, critics argue that the platform, under Musk’s ownership, is evolving into an expensive tool for partisan amplification. The Sky News report’s conclusions lend weight to concerns that X is becoming an effective “propaganda machine,” contrary to its stated mission of fostering diverse and open communication.