A recent study by the Media Research Center (MRC) has uncovered a significant bias in X’s algorithm, favoring Democratic members of Congress over their Republican counterparts in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
The Media Research Center’s MRCFreeSpeech America, which focuses on big tech censorship, reports that according to a comprehensive study conducted by the group, social media giant X/Twitter is actively boosting content from Democratic congressional members while simultaneously suppressing posts from Republican lawmakers. This algorithmic bias comes at a critical time, with the 2024 election on the horizon, raising concerns about potential election interference.
Using X’s AI chatbot, Grok, MRC researchers were able to examine the platform’s algorithm and how it treats all members of Congress. The findings show a clear advantage given to Democrats in both the House and Senate over their Republican counterparts.
The study’s methodology involved analyzing X’s “visibility score,” which is calculated on a scale of 0-100 and determines which accounts the platform boosts or suppresses. This score is based on four core metrics: Mass Appeal, Reputation, Toxicity, and Follow, each also rated on a 0-100 scale.
The results paint a stark picture of political favoritism within X’s algorithm. Senate Democrats scored an average visibility of 82.4 out of 100, while Senate Republicans averaged only 66.8. The disparity was just as pronounced in the House, with Democrats scoring 67.0 compared to Republicans’ 58.6.
Notably, the study found that the more left-leaning a congressional member is, the higher their visibility score tends to be. Conversely, more conservative members typically receive lower scores, effectively reducing their reach on the platform.
Some of the most striking examples include:
- Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) received the highest visibility score among House members (86.5 out of 100), despite her history of controversial statements.
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) topped all of Congress with a visibility score of 92 out of 100.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was rated as more “toxic” by the algorithm than Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who has faced criticism for past statements deemed antisemitic.
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who caucuses with Democrats, received an excellent rating of 82.4, while libertarian Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) scored only 70.9.
The study also revealed that X’s “Reputation” scores, which significantly impact content visibility, heavily favor Democrats. The average score for House Republicans was 55.7, below the crucial 65-point threshold needed for content recommendation. House Democrats averaged 66.2, surpassing this threshold.
In the Senate, the disparity was even more pronounced, with Republicans barely crossing the 65-point mark at 67.6, while Democrats averaged an impressive 86.0.
The study claims that these findings suggest that despite Elon Musk’s efforts to transform X into a free speech platform, remnants of the previous Twitter regime’s censorship practices may still be influencing the platform’s operations. The study indicates a potential internal conflict between Musk’s vision for the platform and algorithms or employees loyal to previous policies.
MRC Vice President for Free Speech America, Dan Schneider, commented on the findings: “I suspect the radical lefties at X are helping their radical besties in Congress, or it could be that the ghosts of Jack Dorsey are still plaguing the algorithm. Either way, it appears to be an inside job.”
Elon Musk has previously acknowledged concerns about reduced content visibility for certain users and promised to investigate. In May, responding to a query about conservative throttling on the platform, Musk stated, “Well, neither conservative nor progressives should be throttled. The point is to have an even playing field. I will investigate.”
Read more at MRCFreeSpeech here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.