X expands transparency on government censorship

X announced it will now tell users when their posts have been shadowbanned due to government demands for content filtering. The feature builds on the platform's earlier "Under the Hood" tool.

What Under the Hood actually shows

Users who posted at least 10 times in a month can download a JSON file showing if their account or posts were labeled or downranked. The file includes which posts were withheld and which country made the request.

Solving the shadowban mystery

Before this update, X users had no way to know if their posts were being limited by the platform. Many accused X of shadowbanning them without explanation or evidence.

Why governments demand content removal

Governments cite laws against hate speech, terrorism content, and election rules when demanding X limit posts. Critics warn some countries use these laws to suppress political dissent.

X's broader push for openness

X has also open-sourced its "For You" algorithm and released details about its ranking system, including parameters that determine which posts get shown. The company calls this level of disclosure unprecedented.

“the kind of thing that I think people will be fairly shocked that we are releasing.”

How most companies handle government requests

Most tech companies share government data requests only in aggregate transparency reports, not at the account or post level. X's approach is more granular than the industry standard.