Millions of Britons are saying goodbye to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, as dissatisfaction with Elon Musk's management continues to grow. A recent report from Ofcom highlights how the number of UK adults engaging with X plummeted from over 26.5 million users in 2022 to just 22.2 million in 2023. That’s nearly 4.3 million users lost, and it's clear something has gone awry.
This dramatic decline reflects the mounting frustration among users, particularly left-leaning individuals who feel alienated by Musk's political leanings and the changes he has brought to the platform. Musk, famous for his controversial involvement with Donald Trump—recently endorsing Trump’s presidential bid—has made headlines not just for his tweets but also for his remarks about UK politics, which he has labeled as "tyrannical" and even alluded to the possibility of ‘civil war.’
His decision to reverse bans on controversial figures, including far-right influencers like Tommy Robinson and Katie Hopkins, has heightened concerns about hate speech spreading unchecked. Critics argue this approach has allowed harmful rhetoric to flourish on the platform, pushing many users to seek solace elsewhere.
Complaints about X don't stop at political content—they extend to the user experience. Musk's insistence on shifting toward paid subscriptions, which prioritize posts from users willing to pay, has upset many longtime users who cherished the platform for its accessibility and open dialogue.
Matt Navarra, a social media strategist, has suggested Musk’s rebranding of Twitter to X played a significant role in the disconnect felt by users. "The redesigns and the rebranding... broke its cultural currency. Stripping away the familiarity of Twitter left many users feeling confused and disconnected," he explained.
But it’s not just dissatisfaction causing the exodus; competition is heating up. Platforms like Reddit have seen usage among UK visitors surge by 47%, with 22.9 million people engaging as of May 2023. Threads, another competitor owned by Meta, quickly gained 5.3 million users and boasts 35 million users globally, indicating users are actively exploring new social media avenues.
To complicate matters, Bluesky—launched by the co-founder of Twitter—is now over 22.6 million users strong, marking significant growth since it had only 13 million users back in October 2024. It appears X users are actively hopping from one platform to another, seeking environments they feel are safer and more aligned with their community values.
The demographic trends on X reveal interesting patterns as well, with men making up 63% of the UK user base. Yet, daily active usage has dropped significantly, with visits declining from 6.9 million to just over 5.2 million as reported by Similarweb recent data. Meanwhile, other platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram continue to dominate the scene, with TikTok even experiencing 13% growth, now attracting 24 million users.
The Ofcom report captured the essence of this shift: "Although X remains the highest-reaching microblogging service, its presence among UK adults continues to slowly wane." Without strategic changes to address user concerns and restore trust, X risks becoming obsolete, especially as users flock to rival platforms.
The loss of users can largely be attributed to Musk’s political actions, poor moderation policies, and decisions aimed at monetization over user engagement. This has not gone unnoticed, and the situation places increasing pressure on X to innovate and adapt. The competitive social media arena is ever-shifting, and if X fails to make necessary adjustments, it may find itself losing relevance altogether.
So, what’s next? Only time will tell how Musk and his team react to these challenges. For now, users are casting their nets wider than ever, highlighting just how fragile loyalty can be. It’s safe to say the future of X hangs delicately on the balance of user satisfaction and engagement. Without significant changes, the exodus may continue.
