X, formerly known as Twitter, released its social recommendation algorithm under an open-source Apache 2.0 license, granting businesses commercial usage and modification rights, according to VentureBeat. The move, announced January 20, 2026, allows enterprises to gain insights into how the platform determines content visibility.

The algorithm, which decides which posts and accounts are shown to users, is based on a "Transformer" architecture powered by xAI's Grok AI language model, VentureBeat reported. This marks a shift from the platform's previous reliance on manual heuristic rules and legacy models.

The open-sourcing aims to provide a "map" for businesses to navigate X's content distribution, potentially improving the return on investment (ROI) of their social media strategies, according to VentureBeat. The release is significant for enterprises with brand accounts on X, as well as for leaders and employees who use the platform to post company public relations.