Elon Musk’s New Move Suggests Rising Anxiety Over Users Fleeing to Bluesky

A Platform in Decline?

Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), seems increasingly alarmed by the steady migration of users to alternative platforms like Bluesky and Meta's Threads. In a move that raised eyebrows, Musk recently introduced a feature allowing users to hide engagement metrics such as likes, shares, and reposts—a decision critics say aims to obscure the platform’s apparent decline in activity.

"You can now hide engagement buttons and numbers below each post and interact with posts through custom swipe gestures!" announced X app developer May Ly in a tweet last week. Musk himself justified the change by claiming it improves the user experience.

"It's much cleaner with engagement numbers turned off," Musk stated. "You can still see view count if you care."

A Dubious Explanation

Musk’s sudden focus on a "cleaner" user interface feels uncharacteristic. Since acquiring the platform in 2022, his changes have been widely criticized for cluttering the app with colored verification badges, intrusive ads, and confusing design choices. The new feature, however, may hint at deeper concerns about competition.

Bluesky, a rising Twitter alternative, has seen an explosion in activity. According to Similarweb, its daily active users skyrocketed to 3.5 million last week—a staggering 300% increase since Election Day. Meanwhile, Meta’s Threads boasts an impressive 275 million monthly active users. Bluesky’s recent momentum, however, suggests it could begin to challenge Threads in key areas.

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The Competition Heats Up

Even Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is watching Bluesky’s rapid ascent closely. Many former Twitter influencers have chosen Bluesky over Threads, signaling a shift in user preferences post-election.

In contrast, Musk’s X has faced mounting criticism for controversial policy changes. These include:

🔹 Requiring users to opt out of having their posts used to train AI systems.

🔹 Disabling the block feature, exposing users to increased harassment.

🔹Allegedly throttling posts containing external links, effectively limiting the reach of outside news sources.

At the same time, hate speech and harmful content, including child exploitation material, have surged under Musk’s leadership, further tarnishing X’s reputation.

Why Users Are Leaving

The platform’s struggles to maintain a safe and engaging space have driven many users to seek refuge elsewhere. Bluesky and Threads not only offer cleaner user experiences but also foster communities free from the rampant disinformation and toxicity that now characterize X.

Musk’s latest changes appear to be a desperate attempt to retain users, but with his competitors thriving, it’s clear he has reason to worry. For many, the greener pastures of Bluesky and Threads make it hard to justify staying on X.

As X’s woes continue, the question isn’t whether users will leave—it’s how many more will follow.