On Sunday, Sen. Ted Cruz questioned why Twitter’s algorithm keeps showing him tweets from Democrats and gave “Ted Deutch … Sheldon Whitehouse … Steve Cohen … Chuck Schumer … and Chris Murphy” as examples:
Is it just me or is there something REALLY wrong with Twitter’s algorithms? Because I follow Steve Scalise and several other GOP members of Congress, I get recommended tweets from Ted Deutch … Sheldon Whitehouse … Steve Cohen … Chuck Schumer … and Chris Murphy? ? pic.twitter.com/71TWk0PklB
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 9, 2019
Um. . .
We love to bash social media companies as much as the next guy, but we’re pretty sure Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) has it right with this response:
Could be they are all members of Congress?
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) June 9, 2019
Bet Sen. Cruz wasn’t satisfied and he bet Sen. Schatz $100 that it would be different on his timeline:
Really, Brian?? You can’t think of any other similarities btwn them? And differences w/ Scalise? Twitter only does this in one DIRECTION. In fact, let’s try this experiment: take a pic of Twitter’s recs to you (a Dem senator) RIGHT NOW. I’ll give $100 if it recs even 2 of 5 Rs. https://t.co/1SnQnB6Nlp
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 9, 2019
It looks like Sen. Cruz lost the bet, although there is no screenshot proof:
It had Schumer Blumenthal Mcarthy Meadows Scalise. I think, no snark, it’s just “you like following politicians, here are some more politicians.”
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) June 9, 2019
It really isn’t just in one direction, at least where this algorithm is concerned:
Senator @tedcruz that’s simply not true.
Twitter is filled with tweets from liberal folks who wonder why they get conservative recommendations. Take a minute to search and you’ll find plenty of examples.
It’s not just in one direction. https://t.co/pXDF8Bt2Et
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) June 9, 2019
Recommended
The two accounts most frequently placed into my feed are Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump Jr.
But, as always, Ted Cruz is the real victim here. https://t.co/jfxfiASvvl
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) June 9, 2019
The algorithm does this for sports, too:
Dude, Twitter constantly recommends I follow the STL Cardinals and Cardinals players. This goes in all directions! https://t.co/1zJPfxeF3C
— Mary Elizabeth (@mchastain81) June 9, 2019
Hopefully, the two can work together at “algorithmic transparency,” because it is a serious issue:
I get recommendations to follow all kinds of people with whom I disagree, and it never occurred to me that it would be a political conspiracy. But there are some legit issues related to algorithmic transparency that we could work on together. https://t.co/NyO3ieZ28Q
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) June 9, 2019
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