In a move toward greater platform transparency, X announced on Monday that it will alert users when their content has been downranked or “shadowbanned” as a result of complying with local laws. This new feature builds upon the company’s existing “Under the Hood” initiative, which previously allowed individuals to view any labels applied to their accounts or posts that might impact visibility.
The updated tool will specifically highlight reductions in post reach caused by government-mandated content filtering. Historically, such moderation data was not accessible to end-users, leading to widespread accusations against the social network—formerly known as Twitter—of arbitrarily suppressing user voices. Furthermore, while other technology firms typically release aggregate data regarding government requests through transparency reports, X is now providing granular, account-level information.
This development follows the August rollout of X’s initial transparency tool, which enables users who have made at least ten posts in a month to download a JSON file containing aggregate statistics. The file details whether an account or specific posts had their visibility limited due to legal compliance, including which country issued the request and which posts were withheld. Governments frequently cite various legal grounds for these demands, ranging from hate speech and terrorism regulations to election integrity rules, though critics and free-expression advocates argue such laws are often used to stifle political dissent.
The update is part of a broader series of transparency efforts by X, including the recent open-sourcing of its “For You” feed algorithm and additional parts of its codebase. These initiatives aim to provide deeper insight into how content is ranked and displayed. Keith Coleman, X’s vice president of product, noted at the time of the algorithm release that the company expected the level of detail being shared to surprise the public.
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