In the week following the 2024 U.S. elections, X (formerly Twitter) experienced its largest user exodus since Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition. Many Americans, disillusioned by Musk’s vocal support for President-elect Donald Trump and the platform’s growing prevalence of far-right, conspiracy-driven content, decided to leave. Prominent figures such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Elton John, and Don Lemon also departed, citing the platform’s increasingly toxic environment and restrictive new terms of service.
The mass migration has benefited alternative platforms, particularly Bluesky, founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and Meta’s Threads. Bluesky reported over a million new users within a week, reaching 14.7 million globally. Spokesperson Emily Liu highlighted growing engagement as users sought refuge from X’s divisive atmosphere. Bluesky further distanced itself from Musk’s policies, emphasizing its independence from political bias or influence.
The departure largely reflects political divides, with left-leaning users gravitating toward Bluesky and Threads. Public figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Chasten Buttigieg joined the migration, along with community-driven groups such as Taylor Swift’s fanbase. Users like Kawa Wutz, a finance director, cited X’s negative shift under Musk as the tipping point: “Every time I opened it, I felt worse.”
For many, the election served as a catalyst to leave a platform they no longer found productive or safe. Experts like Rory Mir from the Electronic Frontier Foundation see this exodus as a reminder of the importance of ethical platform ownership, as Bluesky and Threads emerge as preferred alternatives for disillusioned users.
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