A Washington Post analysis found that Twitter's "For You" algorithm is amplifying hate speech. Accounts following extremist groups, as identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center, were shown content from other racist and inflammatory sources, including accounts they did not follow.
The algorithm, designed to personalize content, unintentionally exposes users to hate speech even if they don't actively seek it out. This contradicts Elon Musk's promises to curb hate speech on the platform.
The analysis cites a specific example where an account following extremists was shown tweets from a self-proclaimed Nazi, highlighting the algorithm's failure to effectively filter harmful content.
SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter is amplifying hate speech in its “For You” timeline, an unintended side effect of an algorithm that is supposed to show users more of what they want.
According to a Washington Post analysis of Twitter’s recommendation algorithm, accounts that followed “extremists” — hate-promoting accounts identified in a list provided by the Southern Poverty Law Center — were subjected to a mix of other racist and incendiary speech. That included tweets from a self-proclaimed Nazi, for example, a user the account did not follow.
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