X will allow users to download the secret censorship file of their account

Social network X, owned by Elon Musk, is expanding its 'Under the Hood' transparency tool, allowing users to download a file that will reveal whether reduced exposure to their account resulted from a government demand or a court order. The report will indicate which posts were hidden and from which country the demand originated. The move aims to provide an official response to the phenomenon of 'shadowbanning' and transfer power to users.

Social network X, owned by Elon Musk, announced the expansion of its 'Under the Hood' transparency tool, which will allow users to download a data file detailing whether reduced exposure to their account resulted from a government demand or a court order. The tool, launched last August, enables active users to download information about labels and classifications applied to their account. Now a critical layer of information will be added: the file will explicitly state whether exposure was limited due to compliance with a government demand, which specific posts were hidden, and from which country the legal demand originated. The move aims to provide an official response to the phenomenon of 'shadowbanning' – a quiet algorithmic throttling where the post is not deleted but its exposure is cut. However, the company clarifies that not every restriction stems from an attempt to silence political criticism, and in cases of court orders with a publication ban or an immediate threat, X is prevented from notifying the account holder in real time. The move is seen as a precedent-setting step vis-à-vis international regulators, forcing governments to take public responsibility for their censorship demands.