Billionaire Elon Musk rebranded Twitter into X in 2023. Featured Video But 2024 was the year that he finally killed any lingering remnants of the beloved platform. It’s officially X now, whether you like it or not. Which is probably for the best, because whatever X is, it is not Twitter. Since Musk took over in 2022, the once-informative, weird, funny, and engaging platform has devolved into a shell of its former self. Advertisement It’s now a pay-to-play content farm, beset by AI hucksters and conspiracy theorists looking to make a quick buck, where the back-and-forth banter the site was known for has entirely disappeared. Here’s how Musk made it happen. Altering the algorithm In October, just before the election, many began noticing a sharp rise in right-wing content, which coincided with Musk’s full-throated endorsement of President-elect Donald Trump. Advertisement As it turns out, according to an analysis by the Washington Post, Republicans were “posting more, getting followed more and going viral more.” It doesn’t hurt that Musk’s change to the blue check function alters who goes viral more. Those who want to pay Musk get boosted in timelines, leading to extra retweets and engagement. And the people willing to give Musk money tend to be more right-leaning. Musk is free to alter the algorithm however he wants, and conservatives routinely complained about bias on old Twitter, viewing this as a necessary course correction. But at least, back then, right-wingers could still be seen and reach audiences. For all its faults, they still flocked to Twitter. Advertisement