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X said on Thursday that it is widening access to the code behind its recommendation systems while also giving users a new way to see whether their accounts or posts have been affected by ranking decisions.
The company is making the code for the app’s "For You" timeline available on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 licence. That feed is the default timeline users see when they open the app. X also said it is expanding earlier open-source efforts by publishing additional details about its systems, including model configurations, filters and information about the core ranking system.
Among the newly shared details are the parameters used to weight different signals, which help determine which posts are shown to users.
At the same time, X is rolling out new transparency features aimed at individual users. The company said specialty tools are now available that allow users to review how ranking systems may have affected their accounts or posts.
A new transparency tool is being added to an "Under the Hood" page in the app’s settings. Users who have posted 10 or more times over the past month can download their aggregate statistics as a JSON file. According to the company, that file will show whether any labels were applied to their accounts or posts during the previous calendar month.
X has also shown its open-source codebase to external researchers familiar with recommendation systems. Those researchers were able to train and run X’s Phoenix scoring system using the open-source code, which the company said marked a major step in its transparency push.
Some parts of the system, however, are not being included. Users will not be able to access certain updates, including systems that use Grok to predict whether a post could violate a rule. X said it is withholding that information to prevent bad actors from using it to get around the company’s rules and flood the platform with spam.
The move comes as scrutiny continues over how X’s algorithms shape politics, elections and the spread of misinformation. The source article also noted that while the platform has added more transparency-related features under Elon Musk, it has been less transparent in other areas. X is no longer required to report to the SEC, and the company has provided less information on metrics such as user growth and revenue, as well as government takedown requests, which are now reported less frequently.
