X has announced a new modification to its content display algorithm, aiming to increase the visibility of posts from users with reciprocal relationships, i.e., people who follow each other. This move is intended to make interactions more friendly and reduce the visibility of comments from unknown users.

Nikita Per, Head of Products at X, explained that the platform had discovered that the algorithm was lacking this factor, which led to a decline in the visibility of friends' posts within replies. He added that this made the comment section look like "a battleground" between people who are unknown to the user.

Per noted that the new modification will not radically change the platform's user experience, but it is expected to make X more like a community for users with shared interests, rather than a space filled with scattered voices competing for attention.

He added that this change will also help form small communities centered around common interests more easily, which is a demand that has been repeated by many users in the past period.

Continuous modifications to support content creators

This update comes as part of a series of changes made recently by X, which have focused heavily on enhancing the experience of content creators. Earlier this year, the company modified its profit distribution mechanism for accounts with the aim of rewarding original content rather than content that is recompiled or republished. Additionally, it launched a new video editor earlier in the month, allowing users to produce and edit videos directly within the platform.

Competition with Threads to Build Digital Communities

The modification of X's algorithm coincides with similar steps taken by Meta's platform, Threads, which is also working on developing its algorithms to build more cohesive and distinctive communities compared to its main competitor X.

Last month, Threads launched the Your Algo feature, which gives users special control over the type of content that appears on their homepage. The platform recently announced that it has surpassed 500 million monthly active users, indicating continued growth in the social media platforms market.