Algorithm

Less than twenty-four hours after the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah, the social network X was overwhelmed with messages calling for revenge and mentioning a civil war. Thousands of posts, often written in identical terms, point to the left as responsible. Faced with this surge, several researchers suspect artificial amplification. Behind these calls for violence, some accounts show characteristics of automated networks.

Social media has become much more than just simple exchange platforms. Today, they are the battleground of an ideological clash between freedom of expression, content moderation, and user engagement. Every modification to the rules governing these digital spaces sparks passionate debates, and X (formerly Twitter) is no exception. Recently, Elon Musk announced a revamp of X's algorithm, which aims to prioritize educational and informative content at the expense of those deemed too negative. According to him, this update addresses a central issue: some posts encourage excessive consumption of the social network without truly enriching users' experiences. However, this decision has quickly provoked criticism. Many users denounce a risk of control over information and question the criteria that will define "negativity." Some see it as a form of masked censorship, while others view this change as an attempt to influence how debates are organized on the platform.