Source code for the X Recommendation Algorithm (opens in new tab)

If you really want to know: Go take a look at what things they think interest you. Go to Settings, Privacy and Safety, Content You See, Interests. You'll find they've probably randomly inserted some interest in there because you engaged with someone who had that interest and it never ever gets turned off. I followed an actor because I liked his stance on some topic or another and it decided I must be interested in his latest project... which I'm not... and no matter how many times I uncheck that interest it will just get set again within a week or so.

So, yeah, they try to make inferences about what you'll like based on who you interact with, they invariably prove to be wrong, and here we are. I suppose they may also be paid to astroturf interests to other people, but who knows?

I quit Twitter a few years ago, after a change to the algorithm maximized flamewars.

It was probably good for maximizing "engagement", but that meant turning Twitter (now X) into an open sewer.

No. I'd say their algorithm is just as bad as everyone else's since it's designed to promote ragebait (inasmuch as their goal is to increase the odds of "positive engagement" in the form of likes, retweets, and replies, and ragebait happens to maximize that). Engaged audiences stay longer and see more ads. That this results in the utter destruction of online discourse is, of course, not something that they care about. Consequently, I don't really use Twitter for anything other than staying in touch with friends... at least, those I'm not already in contact with through chat rooms of some kind (where we can share whatever we like without some Twat inserting themselves and deciding we didn't really want to share that and oh hey, how about this obnoxious thing Trump did the other day???).