Should Twitter's Algo Be Open Sourced? Elon Musk Has Some Thoughts

Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk is stirring up conversations and controversy on Twitter Inc TWTR again. This time it's about the social media platform itself.

What Happened: In a reply to writer and illustrator Tim Urban's complaints about the Twitter algorithm, Musk raised concerns about a "de facto bias" embedded in the algorithm and the potential ripple effects of said bias. 

I’m worried about de facto bias in “the Twitter algorithm” having a major effect on public discourse.

How do we know what’s really happening?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2022

So how do we know what's happening behind the scenes? Musk has suggested open-sourcing the Twitter algorithm.

Open-source software is designed for public access and modification. 

Following his engagement with Twitter users on the topic, Musk posted a poll asking people to vote on whether or not the Twitter algorithm should be open source. 

Digital artist Pak, who is well known in the NFT and cryptocurrency space, suggested that someone should develop a decentralized alternative. To which Musk replied, "You mean email?"

Why It Matters: Twitter has long pushed the idea that its platform is open source. The company has an open source page for specific projects. 

"Twitter has been built on open source since the beginning. Openness is part of our DNA. The projects you see here were born at Twitter, and patches are always welcome," according to Twitter's open source page.

Musk is pushing that idea further, suggesting that the algorithm that governs what Twitter users see should be open source as well. With nearly 80 million followers, it doesn't take long for the Tesla CEO to stir the pot. An overwhelming majority (around 83%) have already voted in favor of open-sourcing Twitter's algorithm.

Twitter algorithm should be open source

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2022

Photo courtesy of Tesla.