Twitter's algorithm should be open source: Elon Musk

SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that he hopes to "open source" Twitter's algorithm in an attempt at transparency, which would aid the trust users have in the platform.

In his first public, non-tweeted comments since the saga began, Musk addressed why he wants to buy the company, and the changes he would want to bring about, reports Engadget.

"Twitter has become kind of the de-facto town square," he was quoted as saying.

"It is just really important that people have both the reality and the perception that they're able to speak freely within the bounds of the law," he added.

In terms of specific changes, Musk said Twitter should open-source its algorithms and minimise the interventions it takes in policing content.

"Any changes to people's tweets -- if they're emphasised or de-emphasised -- that action should be made apparent," he said.

"So anyone can see that that action has been taken so there's no sort of behind-the-scenes manipulation, either algorithmically or manually," he added.

Musk also said that the underlying code behind the algorithm should be available on GitHub, so that users could inspect it themselves.

Recently, Musk made an offer to buy 100 per cent of Twitter at $54.20 per share, a 54 per cent premium over the closing price of Twitter on January 28, 2022, the trading day before Musk began investing in the company.

This is a 38 per cent premium over the closing price of Twitter on April 1, 2022, the trading day before Musk's investment in Twitter was publicly announced.

Twitter's algorithm should be open source: Elon Musk