(NewsNation) — More than 115,000 users simultaneously deactivated accounts on Elon Musk’s X, marking its largest mass exit ever, as rival Bluesky traffic surged 500% in the U.S., according to Similarweb data, NPR reported.
Social media site Bluesky says it’s gained more than 1.5 million new users since the presidential election. Some users say they want an alternative to X, formerly Twitter, since its owner Elon Musk is poised to join President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.
NewsNation media contributor Steve Krakauer expects Bluesky’s popularity to fade and believes Musk’s X will thrive despite its challenges.
“When Joe Biden decided to drop out of the presidential race back in July, he didn’t post it on platforms that are not owned by Elon Musk,” Krakauer said during an appearance on “Morning in America.” “He put it right there on X, and the reason is because that’s where the conversation happens.”
While some journalists are trying alternatives like Bluesky, Krakauer predicts many will “find their way back” to X for its speed and centrality in breaking news and major discussions
What is Bluesky?
Bluesky is reminiscent of Twitter’s early days. It has a similar layout, feel and search functions.
The site has become a safe space of sorts for left-leaning celebrities and people turned off by X’s politics.
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey launched Bluesky in 2019, but it’s seen a surge in users migrating to the platform since Trump’s presidential election victory. The company says it gained more than 1.5 million users in the past week.
NewsNation’s Ryan Bass contributed to this report.