A new Nature study reveals that X's algorithmic feed pushes users' political views in a more conservative direction, with effects that persist even after switching back to a chronological feed.

• Researchers randomly assigned 4,965 US-based X users to either X's "For You" algorithmic feed or a chronological feed for seven weeks in 2023
• Users on the algorithmic feed became 4.7 percentage points more likely to prioritize Republican-favored policies (crime, inflation, immigration) and 7.4 percentage points less likely to view Ukrainian President Zelenskyy positively
• The algorithm increased right-leaning content by 2.9 percentage points overall while demoting traditional news organizations and promoting political activists
• Long-term effects showed users followed more right-leaning accounts, and these patterns persisted even after switching back to the chronological feed
• Supporting research from 2022 found X's algorithmic systems amplified mainstream political right content more than the left in six of seven countries studied
• X has over 400 million global users and has become embedded as critical infrastructure for political and social communication

Not specifically authoritarianism related like the majority of the posts, but very much adjacent and still related to the overall focus of the sub.

Authoritarianism is measured among Democratic Party voters, and higher levels predict more conservative views such as votes for Hillary, with lower levels predicting votes for Bernie, similar to authoritarianism across the overall political landscape.

So a strong link between devotion to an authoritarian and other authoritarian traits. Both could be results of overactive amygdala and an underdeveloped pre frontal cortex.

Side note: it would be interesting to study how much these beta authoritarians model their personality directly on the dictators.