Lowest level of downloads in ten years and traffic drops 10%

Since businessman Elon Musk took control of the social media network Twitter last October 2022, and renamed it X, the use and downloads of the application have witnessed a sharp decline. Data from app performance manager Apptopia reveals that app downloads are down 30% since the start of July, compared to the previous two months.

The decline, which represents a ten-year low, coincides with a rebranding promoted by Musk, who has ignored traditional branding strategies and the wishes of his new CEO, Linda Yaccarino.

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Compared to the same period last year, before the tech mogul founder of SpaceX acquired the platform for $44 billion, Twitter downloads were down 18%. The significant decline in download volume was recorded in most countries, but especially in its main markets: the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan. This represents one of the lowest moments of interest in the platform since before the social network went public in 2013.

Another piece of information to consider is what is recorded in the records of the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The app has been gaining between 15 and 30 million users per month since 2011, and between August and September of this year, the app gained only 10 million users.

The number of daily users reaches 249 million

Visits to a similar site.

So far in September, the number of daily users has reached 249 million, 2% less than in July. In terms of monthly users, the platform also lost a similar volume of traffic, at 393 million, compared to 398 million in July.

Reducing the workforce is another additional problem

In addition to these problems, it is worth noting that Elon Musk’s first day on Twitter led to the dismissal of the previous management leadership. The mogul’s wave of layoffs furloughed 3,700 employees.

The decline in downloads and use of X also coincides with changes pushed by Musk and his politically incorrect use of the app. The billionaire is often trending on the platform, and has focused it more on his own image than as a place to stay informed or for broader public debate.

Additionally, lax censorship measures have given rise to fake news and allowed xenophobic comments as the algorithm has been modified to prioritize posts and comments from paying subscribers.