In April, 2023, Twitter, one of the most well-known social media sites in the world, made the unexpected announcement that it will make its algorithm’s code public. The algorithm that decides what information shows up on users’ timelines has been the focus of a lot of discussion and controversy in recent years.
As CEO Elon Musk has frequently promised, Twitter has released a chunk of its source code for public review, including the algorithm it employs to suggest tweets in users’ timelines.
There are two GitHub repositories on Twitter that contain the code for many components of the social network, including the system that determines which tweets users see on the For You timeline.
According to Musk, on a Twitter Spaces session:
“Our initial release of the so-called algorithm is going to be quite embarrassing, and people are going to find a lot of mistakes, but we’re going to fix them very quickly,” Musk said. “Even if you don’t agree with something, at least you’ll know why it’s there, and that you’re not being secretly manipulated … The analog, here, that we’re aspiring to is the great example of Linux as an open source operating system … One can, in theory, discover many exploits for Linux. In reality, what happens is the community identifies and fixes those exploits.”
The open source releases don’t contain the code that powers Twitter’s ad suggestions or the data used to train Twitter’s recommendation algorithm, which relates to the second point regarding preventing risk. The fact that they don’t provide many instructions on how to examine or use the code further supports the notion that the releases are only intended for developers.
According to Twitter, “[We] excluded any code that might jeopardize user security and privacy or our platform’s capacity to stop bad actors, including weakening our efforts to combat child sexual exploitation and manipulation.” This comes after Twitter recently let go of a sizable portion of its ethical AI and trust and safety employees, which was in charge of activities like content moderation and other user security-related duties. But, the business argues that with code release, it “took precautions to ensure that user safety and privacy will be preserved.”
Which tweets show up on users’ timelines is determined by a complicated algorithm used by Twitter. These variables include the user’s engagement history, the popularity of the tweet, its recentness, and its relevancy to the user’s interests. The algorithm also considers other factors to tailor the information that shows up on the user’s timeline, including the user’s location, device, and language choices.
An important step in the direction of increased accountability and openness in the tech sector is the publishing of the algorithm code. Researchers, authorities, and advocacy organisations will be able to examine the algorithm and make sure it is neither prejudiced or discriminating. Developers will be able to create new tools and programs that take advantage of the capabilities of the algorithm.
The publication of the algorithm’s source code, nevertheless, also prompts questions about security and privacy. Several experts are concerned that hostile actors could take advantage of coding flaws to alter the algorithm and disseminate false information or hazardous materials. Twitter has taken action to allay these worries by tightening security measures and controlling access to the source code.
Ultimately, Twitter made a brave decision to expose the algorithm code, which could have significant repercussions for the tech sector. By embracing responsibility and openness, Twitter is establishing a new standard that other businesses can imitate. Although it is unclear how the publication of the algorithm code will affect Twitter’s user base and revenue sources, it is evident that the company is committed to creating a more effective and efficient platform.
