X Tweaks Algorithm to Boost Posts From Mutuals
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- Nikita Bier, X's head of product, admitted in a Monday post that the platform's algorithm was 'missing' data about surfacing posts from mutual follows, making the reply section feel like a 'battleground with people you don't recognize'
- X is rolling out a tweak to boost visibility of posts to 'mutuals' (people you follow back), aiming to help 'clusters form around interests' — though Bier did not explain how the mutuals data went missing in the first place
- Last week Bier said users posting original content will 'climb faster,' after admitting top accounts on the platform have been posting 'stolen' recycled content from other users
- Threads (Meta) passed 500 million monthly active users last month, attributing growth to 'communities' around topics ranging from books and basketball to parenting and music
- Bluesky COO Rose Wang said the platform is shifting away from a Twitter-style 'town square,' with now-permanent CEO Toni Schneider echoing that Bluesky will focus on 'smaller spaces and more private communities'
- In May X ended its Community feature and shifted users to large group chats, even as Bier said the platform would continue 'investing heavily in niche communities' including custom timelines
Why it matters: X is publicly admitting its algorithm sidelined mutual connections — a tacit acknowledgment that its controversy-driven engagement model has been the wrong bet. The fix comes as Threads (500M MAU) and Bluesky explicitly pivot to community-first models, leaving X playing catch-up. Bier's refusal to explain how the mutuals data went missing raises transparency questions about how X's recommendation system actually works.
