Following Donald Trump’s recent US election victory, Elon Musk’s support for the president-elect appears to have triggered a departure of some users from X, the popular social media platform he owns.
Bluesky, a social networking alternative, has partly benefited from this shift, with many disillusioned X users turning to it to express their views and engage in a moderated, ad-free environment.
Bluesky, the platform backed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, announced that it added 1.25 million users in the week following the US election, increasing its total user base to 15 million.
This growth marked a substantial leap from its 13 million users at the end of October.
The influx has propelled Bluesky to become the top-ranked free app on Apple’s App Store.
Even though Bluesky remains much smaller compared to giants like X and Meta’s Threads, the buzz that it has created has caused experts to sit up and take notice.
Invezz takes a look at the factors influencing users’ departure from X and why, despite the encouraging rise in users, Bluesky has a long way to go before it can become a major force in the social media space.
Why are some users turning away from X?
Musk has spent months promoting Trump’s agenda to his 200+ million followers on X, and has been celebrating online since Trump’s victory.
Musk’s support for Trump has polarized X’s user base with the rightward shift driving some users away.
Over 115,000 US users of X deactivated their accounts the day after the election, according to digital analytics firm Similarweb.
Musk’s actions, from restoring previously banned accounts to slashing moderation teams, have emboldened certain groups while alienating others.
This shift has been accompanied by an uptick in sexist and extremist language on X like “your body, my choice”, according to researchers.
In contrast, Bluesky has taken a clear stance against aligning itself with political figures.
On Election Day, the company cheekily noted that none of its team members would be watching results alongside a presidential candidate, subtly referencing Musk’s role on X.
Several notable journalists have announced their departure from X in favour of Bluesky this week, including Charlie Warzel from The Atlantic, Mara Gay of The New York Times, and former CNN anchor Don Lemon.
On Wednesday, the UK newspaper The Guardian also revealed it would cease posting from its official X accounts, describing the platform as “a toxic media platform.”
However, The Guardian did not specify which other platforms it intends to use for promoting its content.
Prominent TV journalist Don Lemon announced his departure from X, attributing it to the platform’s lack of a conducive environment for “honest debate and discussion.”
However, he said he will continue to use other social media, including Bluesky.
Bluesky users report higher engagement levels
Users who have migrated to Bluesky report higher engagement levels on their posts compared to X, even when their follower counts are significantly smaller.
Ed Zitron, founder of media relations firm EZPR told CNN in a report that despite having 90,000 followers on X, the platform’s engagement did not align with expectations.
“With how Bluesky is scaling right now, I don’t see how (X) stays dominant,” Zitron remarked.
New York Times journalist Mike Isaac shared a similar experience, noting on Bluesky how his posts garnered substantially more interactions than they did on X, despite the disparity in follower counts.
Journalists, left-leaning politicians, and public figures have cited a more positive experience on Bluesky, free from the advertisements and contentious atmosphere prevalent on X.
Bluesky’s past spikes and current edge
The recent spike is not Bluesky’s first surge linked to dissatisfaction with X.
In August, after X was banned in Brazil, Bluesky saw an influx of 2.6 million users, 85% of whom were Brazilian.
More recently, when X announced a controversial policy allowing blocked accounts to view public posts, Bluesky attracted 500,000 new users in a single day.
The platform’s invitation-only phase, which ended in February, helped Bluesky fine-tune moderation tools and features, setting it apart from its competitors.
Users enjoy a feed similar to X, with both discovery and chronological views, as well as features like direct messaging and pinned posts.
Comparing the numbers
Despite the outflow of users, X claims to have set records during the US election.
On Election Day, the platform experienced a 15.5% increase in new signups and logged 942 million posts globally.
Similarweb noted that while over 115,000 US users deactivated their accounts the day after the election—the largest single-day exit since Musk’s takeover—X recorded its highest web traffic of the year on that day, with 46.5 million visits on desktop, a 38% jump from its recent average.
Bluesky also reported increased daily visits, which rose to 1.2 million on Election Day and 1.3 million the following day, compared to approximately 800,000 in the preceding days.
“Whether there will be a measurable decrease in the audience for X as the result of politics remains to be seen,” David Carr, Similarweb editor of insights, news and research, said in a blog post Tuesday.
But, he added, “X’s recent daily peak in US traffic doesn’t make up for the erosion in audience the service has seen over the past couple of years since Musk took ownership of the service.”
According to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, daily active users and time spent on X saw an increase on November 5 and 6 compared to the previous 30 days.
However, by November 10, X’s daily active users had returned to pre-election levels, while Bluesky experienced a 28% rise in users during the same timeframe.
Bluesky’s future: can it dethrone X?
While Bluesky is experiencing a moment in the spotlight, its path to sustained growth is uncertain.
Bluesky remains much smaller than X, which Musk notes is experiencing its own surge in usage, while other competitors have also entered the scene.
Threads, a rival platform from Meta Platforms Inc., has gained 275 million monthly users in under 18 months and may soon introduce ads.
Competing platforms like Mastodon have seen similar bursts of popularity, only to taper off.
Bluesky’s trajectory depends on maintaining momentum and user interest over time.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino has doubled down on the platform’s commitment to providing a space for diverse voices, stating, “X usage is at an all-time high and continues to surge. To all of our users — of every interest, political party, and point of view — You will always have a place to engage and join the global conversation freely and safely.”
Despite such assurances, the departure of high-profile figures and public criticism of the platform’s policies may continue to bolster alternatives like Bluesky.
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