Stanford Professor Keith Humphreys highlighted a significant technical issue on the X platform, formerly Twitter, noting that tweets from accounts he follows are not appearing in his "Following" feed, despite those accounts actively posting. Humphreys conducted an experiment, stating, > "I just did an experiment of searching individually on a dozen or so people I follow but no longer see their tweets. Many of them have been tweeting every day, but even in the following tab, they are invisible to me. Twitter ain't what it used to be technically." This observation points to a critical breakdown in the platform's core functionality for many users.
The issue, as described by Humphreys, who is the Esther Ting Memorial Professor at Stanford University and a Senior Research Career Scientist, aligns with numerous complaints from X users across various online forums. Users have consistently reported that their "Following" timelines, which are intended to display content chronologically from accounts they choose to follow, are incomplete or show posts out of order. This directly contradicts the expectation of a clear, chronological feed.
X has undergone significant algorithmic changes since its rebranding, with a strong emphasis on its "For You" feed, which curates content based on user engagement and interests, similar to TikTok. While the "Following" feed is theoretically meant to remain chronological, user experiences suggest that the platform's algorithms may be inadvertently or deliberately affecting the visibility of content even within this dedicated stream. This shift prioritizes algorithmic recommendations over direct user choices, leading to frustration for those who rely on the "Following" tab for real-time updates from specific sources.
The reported visibility problems raise concerns about X's reliability as a real-time information source and its commitment to user-controlled content consumption. For many, the ability to see all posts from followed accounts is fundamental to their experience on the platform, whether for news, professional updates, or personal connections. The ongoing nature of these complaints suggests a persistent challenge in maintaining a consistent and predictable user experience amidst the platform's evolving technical infrastructure and strategic direction.