UK users quietly leave X as platform takes unexpected direction under new owner
X platform loses over 4 million UK visitors since its purchase by tech mogul. Alternative social-media sites gain popularity as users seek different online communities
The social-media landscape has shifted dramatically since Elon Musk bought X (formerly Twitter) about two years ago‚ with UK user numbers dropping from 26.5m to 22.2m visitors. Recent Ofcom data shows a clear shift in user preferences
The platforms new direction under Musks leadership has triggered notable exits: The Guardian newspaper left due to content concerns‚ while well-known figures like Stephen King and Greg Davies also moved away. The tech-moguls pro-Trump stance and comments about UK being a “tyrannical police state“ didnt help retain users
Changes to the platform including pay-to-verify features and lighter content rules (which allowed previously-banned users like Tommy Robinson back) created a different environment. The sites male-heavy userbase – 63% of UK visitors are men – shows an uneven demographic split
Meanwhile alternative platforms are getting more popular: Reddit saw a 47% jump reaching 22.9m UK adults; Threads got over 5m British users‚ and Bluesky added around 7m accounts globally in just weeks. Traditional social-media giants like YouTube Instagram and Facebook still lead in total reach‚ while TikTok grew its audience by 13% reaching 24m people
The redesigns and rebranding including the switch from Twitter to X have played a role; it broke its cultural currency
Daily active users on Xʼs mobile app dropped to 5.2m in Britain (compared to 6.9m last year) showing a clear down-trend in engagement
