Angry Tweeters Are Being Force-Fed Extremism In Surprise New Feeds On Elon Musk's Twitter
Twitter users are complaining that Elon Musk’s newly acquired company is manipulating their feeds to blast them with obnoxious tweets from extremists they loathe.
A significant number of users say that their profile feeds, or timelines, have become unrecognizable and are now riddled with tweets from extremists pushing perspectives they oppose. It’s a strange concept of “free speech,” which Musk claims to support.
Thousands of people responded to actor George Takei’s tweet Thursday complaining about the radical change in tweets he’s receiving, including one from “asshat” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), whom the civil rights activist pointedly noted he does not follow.
His feed also included a surprise tweet from Donald Trump Jr. Takei said he would “sooner follow a banana slug” on Twitter than the former president’s son.
The surprise tweets are not “retweets or likes by others,” which would be expected to pop up. Instead, they’re “just random far-right tweets,” Takei noted. “I feel sullied by the experience.”
My feed today has all kinds of right wing posts in it from people I definitely do not follow. These are not retweets or likes by others. Just random far-right tweets. I feel sullied by the experience.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) December 2, 2022
Oddly, a number of people on Twitter complained that tweets from teen shooter Kyle Rittenhouse were suddenly popping up on their feeds. One user said Musk seems to be attempting to “de-algorithm” the left.
Still others complained about getting rando unwanted Twitter messages plugging Tesla, another Musk company.
A random plug for Tesla vehicles on a Twitter timeline.
Several right wingers responding to Takei insisted that being exposed to extremist tweets — which could include misogynistic, racist, antisemitic and trans- and homophobic messages — is “good” for progressives.
Twitter has confirmed that the intentional change is underway in a statement Thursday, saying that it is “expanding ‘recommendations’ to all users, including those who may not have seen them in the past,” apparently whether they like it or not. The statement describes the unwelcome tweets as the “best content on the platform.”
If “you’ve ever seen a Tweet ... from someone you didn’t follow, you’ve probably seen a recommendation,” explained a Twitter blog statement about the new policy in September. “Think of them as personalized suggestions.”
We want to ensure everyone on Twitter sees the best content on the platform, so we’re expanding recommendations to all users, including those who may not have seen them in the past.
You can learn more about them, and how to best control your experience: https://t.co/ekYWf57JSc— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 30, 2022
Many who responded to the new policy strongly disagreed with it and wondered how they could opt out of white supremacy “best content” recommendations.
We want to ensure everyone on Twitter sees fascist propaganda on the platform, so we’re expanding recommendations to all users, including those who have objected in the past.
You’re learning more about him, and how he will control your experience. pic.twitter.com/c5K7IWHCAg— Get vaccinated. Against COVID & fascism. web rant (@web_rant) December 1, 2022
Very weird how your guys' definition of "best of Twitter" seems to basically be "popular tweets praising the genius of our CEO" now. The only new crap getting pushed to my timeline now is this inane drivel. pic.twitter.com/fPTicQJzWf
— extremely pleasant mail delivery guy (@dumbmailguy) November 30, 2022
Where is the settings toggle to set it so that twitter will not recommend white supremacists?
— Somebody Else’s RIP Tw1tter Baby (@SBfut3) December 1, 2022
Ah ... this explains why my timeline is suddenly full of garbage I don't want to see.
Yet another fail, @Twitter, @TwitterSupport. Things are going downhill fast.
Your recommendations are truly terrible. And I suspect they're not really based on what you think *we* want to see.— Khashoggi’s Ghost 🇺🇦🌻 (@UROCKlive1) December 1, 2022
No, you're showing us far-right content intentionally. I have no desire to see far-right politicians nor other far-right voices in my feed, yet you constantly are pushing them.
— pitchforks ❁ (@BrandiLynn4Ever) December 1, 2022
Users are sharing tips on how to dodge Musk’s right-wing re-education program. Many suggested blocking tweets, though some users said Twitter appeared to be unblocking blocked senders. Also, for those with thousands of followers, like Takei, blocking extremists, especially when they’re powered by Twitter itself, could be a full-time job.
Others suggested changing (or sticking to) the preference for “latest” tweets rather than the “for you” timeline, a strategy that appeared to be confirmed in the Twitter blog — though how to make that choice was not immediately clear.
Meanwhile, users are continuing to seethe:
Ted Nugent ended up in my feed today along with a plethora of other MAGA mouthpieces. People I’d never want to interact with. I feel like Elon’s got the algorithm dialled all the way to the right.
— the Fallen💙 (@Mattrtwhite) December 2, 2022
It is happening to me too. Tons of Twitter promoted right wing hate, lies and hypocrisy flooding my feed.
Plus, those I have blocked are being unblocked by Twitter.
And, those I have followed are being unfollowed by Twitter.
I am only hanging around now to watch it die.— R Caldwell 🇺🇸 (@Ctopia089) December 2, 2022
Suddenly today, ALL replies to someone I follow were right wing tools - with the usual inane noise.
Not one other Democrat. Not one thoughtful response. Eeeeek.
Where'd my people go? pic.twitter.com/UKsjVdOFUB— JannieJo (@JannieJo8) December 2, 2022
Been happening to the best of us GT! I want my old Twitter feed back.
— Mad Madsen (@MadCatParty) December 2, 2022
Twitter used to be my go to for news. Now it's full of RWNJs and I have to search for the things I care about. The Jobs report has been out for 37 minutes and I have yet to see a single tweet about it. The algorithm is broken or being manipulated.
— Randall 🏳️🌈☮️ (@randallaustx) December 2, 2022