The former Twitter could fade away, or help shape a dark future hosting voices of a new authoritarian world

Summary

X, formerly Twitter, faces its largest user exodus, fueled by Elon Musk’s controversial leadership and Donald Trump’s election victory.

Rivals like Bluesky and Threads are gaining traction, with Bluesky surpassing 16 million users.

Musk’s dual role as platform owner and head of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency raises ethical concerns, particularly as X becomes a hub for alt-right content and political influence.

Speculation grows over a potential merger with Trump’s Truth Social, but tensions between Musk’s business interests and Trump’s policies could strain their relationship, shaping X’s uncertain future.

  • tomatolung@lemmy.world
    1·
    3 hours ago

    For some tech nerds, the X-odus is not something to mourn, but could herald the era of decentralised social networks they have been dreaming of known as the “Fediverse”.

    Advocates of the “Fediverse” argue that there should be one account for any social media network in the same way that Gmail accounts can email any email addresses, or mobile numbers call users on any other network.

    In walling off social networks so users can’t leave, the platform has the power. Instead, newer social networks including Bluesky are being built on “ecosystems” that enable them to interconnect.

    No one knows what will happen to X, with predictions ranging from collapse, to flipping to an anti-Trump platform if Musk and the president lock horns, to becoming a training ground for Musk’s xAI venture. AI could gobble up social media, and xAI is valued at $40bn – almost the price Musk paid for Twitter.