X expanded transparency on August 13 by releasing additional parts of its recommendation and visibility algorithm, including configuration parameters, ranking weights, and visibility-filtering code. This update, larger than its 2023 open-source release, also introduced the Under the Hood feature, allowing select users to access aggregate data on labels affecting their posts' visibility, according to medianama.com.
The newly published code is available on X’s public GitHub repository at github.com/xai-org/x-algorithm. It covers the Phoenix recommendation model's training and execution, as well as the systems generating labels that influence whether posts appear, are dropped, or placed behind interstitials. The Under the Hood tool in account settings lets a pilot group download information on visibility labels, providing insight into factors that can affect post reach.
This move addresses concerns about unexplained drops in post reach often described as shadowbans by distinguishing between ranking and visibility filtering. While Phoenix ranks posts for the For You feed, separate visibility filters determine actual display. By releasing these components, X offers researchers and users more transparency into how content distribution decisions are made, though it does not fully explain why specific posts reach certain audiences.
The August 13 release marks a significant expansion of X’s transparency efforts, following its initial 2023 open-source algorithm release. The Under the Hood feature remains limited to a pilot group, with broader availability and further transparency developments expected to be detailed in future updates.