I spent Election week on Twitter (X) but I didn’t have to see political posts. This extension uses AI to block mentions of Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, or politics.

I spent Election week on Twitter (X) but I didn't have to see political posts. This extension uses AI to block mentions of Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, or politics.

As a seasoned researcher with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that I find the Hide Politics extension quite intriguing. Being exposed to various digital tools and platforms for so long has made me somewhat jaded, but this 15-year-old prodigy, Jason (@ArDeved), has managed to impress me with his innovative approach.


Instead of dwelling on the significance of politics, let’s admit it: politics can be overwhelming. It’s comforting to find solace in other aspects of life that don’t involve political debates. If you’re someone who feels disengaged with politics or simply craves a platform where you can connect with others without political content, “Hide Politics” offers a politically neutral version of X (previously known as Twitter).

Hide Politics is made by X user Jason (@ArDeved). You may recognize that name as the person behind PainPoint.Pro, which uses AI to analyze YouTube comments to create product feedback. Jason is one of my favorite developers right now. Their work is incredibly impressive, but even more so because they’re only 15 years old. What I like about Jason’s apps is that they use AI to do a bunch of complex stuff behind the scenes then show end users concrete changes. That’s the case again here with Hide Politics.

With Hide Politics, you can test it out for free initially, but if you’d like to continue using it in the long run, there will be a charge. The subscription plans begin at $4.99 monthly and go up to $59.99 for a lifetime access. You can add this extension right away to your Google Chrome browser. Although many Google Chrome extensions are compatible with Microsoft Edge, I encountered some issues when attempting to log in to Hide Politics on Microsoft Edge.

How to block politics on X (Twitter)

Hide Politics goes further than the block and filter settings on X. The extension scans the platform to remove any traces of politics. Specifically, Hide Politics looks at:

  • Images from tweets
  • Trending section in explore page
  • Explore menu in home tab
  • News tab in explore page
  • Contents of quoted tweets
  • Obviously tweet text itself

The extension’s developer outlined the above and how the product works in a post on Reddit.

The concept of a politics-free X is a bit ironic given the owner of the social media platform, but I think it’s something many want. In its earlier days, X (then Twitter) was a good place for engaging with members of communities, experts, and celebrities. That’s all still there, but there’s usually at least a sprinkling of politics anywhere you look on the platform.

My experience with Hide Politics

The newly added Hide Politics extension seems to function smoothly. Upon installation, I noticed a significant decrease in political content displayed on X. Although it’s not flawless, it effectively diminishes the volume of political content significantly.

It was frustrating for me as I couldn’t manage to make Hide Politics function on Microsoft Edge. It appears that the problem might stem from the extension’s sign-in procedure, which worked flawlessly when using the most recent version of the add-on in Google Chrome.

In earlier iterations of Hide Politics, there were login problems. Ensure your extension is version 1.2 or newer to avoid these issues. Once updated, I found the login process worked smoothly in Chrome.

Why isn’t this built into X?

Considering a single extension can improve the overall X experience so much, a natural question that comes to mind is “why isn’t this built into X?” While I don’t know the inner workings of the mind of Elon Musk, I’m confident that X falls into the same category as most social media platforms. Sites like X, Instagram, and TikTok aren’t about showing you a curated stream of content you want to see, they’re about presenting content you will engage with. That engagement could come in the form of likes, sharing, commenting, or creating more content. When it comes to monetization, engagement is king, and it doesn’t matter if that engagement is positive or negative.

Often, material that triggers more negative interactions on social media platforms can be beneficial for these sites, although this aspect of their operation can be concerning when viewed as a whole. Here are some elements contributing to a rise in unfavorable news:

  • People are more likely to share negative news on social media.
  • Negative headlines and news drive people to find out more information, which drives engagement.
  • Because negative stories get more engagement, content creators produce more negative content.
  • Social media algorithms promote negative content because that content gets engagement

It’s logical for a social media firm to allow negative content, but that doesn’t imply it’s what users desire. I manage two separate accounts, one dedicated to technology and another to sports. Neither of these profiles are heavily political, although some individuals I follow occasionally express their political views.

At times, I’d prefer to engage with the Washington Commanders fanbase during games versus the Steelers without getting caught up in discussions about Trump and Harris. I initially believed it was demanding too much from X, but the Hide Politics extension allows me to do just that.

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2024-11-11 16:39