X's Algorithm Reveals Hidden Filter for Brazil's 2026 Election
Brazilian election filter in X For You timeline
A new file in X's open-source algorithm repository reveals a filter that suppresses content from 665 user accounts reported to Brazil's Electoral Court ahead of the 2026 election. The filter, implemented in Rust, removes tweets and replies from these users from the "For You" timeline, complying with Brazilian regulations. The code includes obfuscated user IDs and usernames for transparency, and tests confirm the filter's behavior.
Application providers that use a recommendation system for users must exclude from the results the channels and profiles reported to the Electoral Court under the terms of § 1º of this article and, except in cases of paid boosting, the content posted on them.
- nomilk
Seems Brazil's court (the TSE) banned platforms from recommending (via 'feeds' and similar) ~700 accounts related to its election, to avoid 'amplification' (unless the user already follows the account, in which case it's permitted).
I'm not sure if this is a good or bad idea. But if I were Brazillian, I'd be immediately following all ~700 accounts (and probably unfollowing all 700 after the election).
Love or hate X, it deserves a massive hat tilt for its transparency here.
- flipbrad
For context: https://x.com/XBR/status/2088341967864320507?s=20
- cantfixstupid
Bluesky creators: How are you feeling right now
- delduca
Good.
- diego_moita
It is interesting that attitudes, laws and initiatives that would be called "censorship" against traditional media are more and more accepted against social media platforms, all over the world in very democratic countries.
I am not against these attitudes. I just want to point to that.
A possible reason is that these platforms are seen as either monopolies or American imperialism agents. In both cases these are very damming perceptions. Both Musk and Zuckerberg have been disastrous in branding their platforms.