X's exodus continues as Elon Musk's political role expands

After Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, the social media platform X (previously known as Twitter) experienced its largest user decline since Elon Musk acquired the platform in 2022.  Over 1,15,000 U.S. users deactivated their X accounts the day after the election.

This number reflects only those deactivations done via the website, leaving out mobile app data, which suggests the actual count could be even higher.

US President-elect on Tuesday nominated Elon Musk to head the proposed Department Government Efficiency (DOGE), along with Vivek Ramaswamy, the Indian American entrepreneur who had sought the Republican nomination for the presidential election but had later withdrawn from the race in favour of Trump.

Musk the politician

This exodus comes in response to Musk’s prominent involvement in the election. Musk spent months using X to openly support Trump’s campaign, sparking backlash from users. Many have migrated to Bluesky, an alternative social media platform, which has seen its user base double within 90 days to 15 million. According to Similarweb, Bluesky gained a million new sign-ups in just one week following the elections.

As X’s user base declines, criticisms against the platform’s moderation and content policies under Musk’s leadership continue to mount. Researchers report a surge in sexist language, with phrases like "your body, my choice" becoming common. Musk's previous changes to X—cutting content moderators, restoring banned accounts, allowing controversial content, and revamping the verification system—have been cited as reasons behind a loss of advertisers and a declining ad business, ANI reported.

The Guardian exits X

Prominent figures in US journalism have publicly announced their departure from X, joining Bluesky to continue their work. Meanwhile, the British news organisation, The Guardian, also declared its exit from X, citing concerns over Musk’s influence during the election. In a statement, The Guardian described X as a "toxic" platform, adding that Musk’s role in the political process has impacted its ability to operate independently on the site.

"We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives," The Guardian stated, noting that its resources could be better directed toward other platforms. The publication confirmed it would no longer post from its official accounts on X, although journalists may continue using it for news-gathering purposes. "The nature of live news reporting means we will still occasionally embed content from X within our article pages," the statement read..

The Guardian, which has over 80 accounts on X with approximately 27 million followers, is one of the largest organisations to leave the platform. The publication’s departure is part of a broader trend, as users and organisations alike reconsider their presence on X amid Musk's influence in the political sphere.

(By arrangement with livemint.com)