According to industry analysts, fewer individuals are engaging with Elon Musk’s social media platform, X. This has caused the social media site to struggle to maintain and attract new users. Despite Musk’s efforts to transform X into a global “town square,” data reveals a significant decline in daily active users.
Recent data from reputable research firms disclosed by X and Musk indicate a downward trajectory in usage metrics. In February alone, X recorded 27 million daily active users on its mobile app in the U.S., marking an 18% decrease compared to the previous year, as reported by Sensor Tower.
This decline in the U.S. user base has persisted since Musk acquired the platform in November 2022. Since then, the overall decrease has been 23%, according to Sensor Tower’s findings.
Globally, the situation appears equally grim, with X experiencing a 15% decline in daily active users on its mobile app, totaling 174 million in February, as reported by Sensor Tower. This downward trend has been consistent throughout Musk’s ownership, with only a minor uptick observed in October before the decline resumed.
As far as other social media platforms are concerned, they have seen a modest increase in their user base during the same period. Platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram, all of them recorded growth ranging from 0.5% to 8.8%. This goes to highlight X’s struggle to retain its user base.
A senior insights analyst at Sensor Tower Abe Yousef, emphasized X’s decline compared to its competitors, attributing it to user dissatisfaction with technical issues, content quality, and the rise of short-form video platforms.
Ever since Musk owned X, the platform has faced criticism for its relaxed content moderation policies, allowing controversial figures back onto the platform. This change, combined with Musk’s controversial remarks in public, which include supporting antisemitic conspiracy theories, has led to advertisers being doubtful and many of them leaving the platform, as reported by Sensor Tower.
Even though X claims to have a larger global user base, uncertainties persist about the definition of active users, casting doubt on the platform’s actual engagement rates. Musk’s recent efforts to rally his extensive social media followers to join the platform indicate a growing urgency to reverse its declining trend.
As advertisers pull out and user interaction decreases, Elon Musk’s X encounters major hurdles ahead in its quest to reclaim stability within the competitive social media arena.
