The number of Britons using X, formerly known as Twitter, has plummeted since Elon Musk’scontroversial takeover two years ago.
A new report by Ofcom reveals that UK adults visiting the platform’s app or website dropped from 26.5 million in 2022 to 22.2 million in 2023, reflecting a significant exodus.
The findings from Ofcom’s annual Online Nation report suggest growing dissatisfaction with Musk’s leadership, particularly among Left-leaning users disillusioned by his political affiliations and policy changes.
Musk’s outspoken support for Donald Trump, including his endorsement of Trump’s presidential candidacy and hundreds of promotional posts to his 200 million followers, has provoked criticism from UK users. Musk has also waded into UK politics, labelling the country a “tyrannical police state” and warning of a potential “civil war.”
His decision to reinstate banned accounts, including far-right figures such as Tommy Robinson and Katie Hopkins, and his “light-touch” moderation approach, has further alienated users. Critics argue that these policies have allowed hate speech to proliferate on the platform.
Additionally, Musk’s emphasis on paid subscriptions—such as boosting posts from verified users who pay a monthly fee—has drawn backlash, with many accusing him of eroding the platform’s accessibility and user experience.
Matt Navarra, a social media consultant, attributed part of the decline to Musk’s rebranding of Twitter to X:
“The redesigns and the rebranding including the switch from Twitter to X have also played a role. It broke its cultural currency. Stripping that away left many users disconnected.”
Competition from rival platforms has intensified. Reddit saw UK usage jump by 47%, attracting 22.9 million visitors as of May 2023. Threads, the microblogging platform launched by Meta, now boasts 5.3 million UK users and has gained 35 million users globally since November. Bluesky, another competitor, added 7 million accounts in under a month following Trump’s re-election campaign.
x’s demographic shift and further challenges
X remains more popular among men, who make up 63% of its UK user base. However, daily active users of the platform’s app have dropped significantly, from 6.9 million in November 2022 to 5.2 million in November 2023, according to data from Similarweb.
In contrast, platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram maintain their dominance as the top three social media services by reach in the UK. Meanwhile, TikTok has experienced a 13% growth, reaching 24 million UK users.
Ofcom concluded: “Although X remains the highest-reaching micro-blogging service, its UK adult reach continues to gradually decline.”
With competitors like Threads, Bluesky, and TikTok capturing disillusioned users, X faces increasing pressure to retain relevance. The platform’s controversial political affiliations, policy changes, and brand overhaul may continue to erode its user base unless strategic changes are made to restore trust and engagement.
