The Twitter alternatives are becoming more popular, and it wouldn’t require much effort to dethrone X as the leading news-sharing platform
Whenever Elon Musk engages in controversial actions, there is a noticeable influx of new users to Bluesky, one of the emerging social media platforms vying as an alternative to Twitter or X.
Bluesky, which remains invitation-only, has amassed over 1.5 million users, and its user base is gradually expanding. Twexit, a website monitoring the migration of users from Twitter to Bluesky, has observed surges in people redeeming their invite codes over the past few months.
Over the year since Musk assumed control of Twitter, there have been notable spikes in new user registrations that align with pivotal events, including Twitter’s transformation into X, Musk’s announcement regarding the removal of the block feature, and his suggestion of introducing a subscription fee for users.
It’s interesting to note that when X removed headlines from news articles shared on the site, there wasn’t a noticeable increase in activity. Additionally, there hasn’t been a significant influx of users expressing concern about misinformation and violent content related to the Israel-Hamas conflict on X.
However, there has been a gradual uptick in daily posting on Bluesky since September 19th, although it remains at approximately 10% of the total registered user accounts (around 150,000).
Similarly, over the past week, Platformer’s Casey Newton and others have observed a resurgence in activity on Threads, Meta’s alternative to Twitter, following a substantial initial decline in excitement after its launch. Users have been more vocal in expressing their concerns about Threads’ performance, as noted by Newton on The Verge.
While this assessment is primarily based on the perception of increased followers, Similarweb, which previously recorded a sharp decline in Threads’ usage after its launch, has noted a slight rebound in the past two weeks, as indicated by Android app data.
A recent CNN thread, where they sought out journalists to identify themselves on the platform, garnered over 2,000 responses and received more than 6,000 likes. While this might seem modest when compared to some of the highly popular Twitter accounts, it does indicate a growing interest in Threads potentially evolving into a professionalized platform for news.
However, it remains unclear what the intentions of the organizations behind Threads or Bluesky are. As pointed out by Newton, it wouldn’t be difficult for Threads to incorporate features like lists, hashtags, trending topics, and a TweetDeck-like interface to cater to the media’s preferences. However, it has been evident (and not entirely surprising, given Meta’s track record) that these platforms are not explicitly designed to serve as news-centric spaces, and Meta has historically struggled to consistently meet the media’s demands.
All the news that’s ‘too risky’ to print
In the previous week, Adam Mosseri, who serves as the head of Instagram and is also overseeing Threads, stated that Meta is not opposed to the presence of news on the platform, but it won’t receive promotional emphasis.
Mosseri explained, “News is undoubtedly present on Threads. Users can share news and follow accounts that share news. We won’t hinder either of these activities. However, we also won’t actively boost or highlight news on the platform.” He further mentioned that such a strategy would be considered too risky, especially considering the platform’s existing stage of development, the potential drawbacks of overemphasizing news, and the associated implications.
Twitter never served as a significant source of traffic for journalism websites. As NPR revealed last week, its departure from the platform resulted in only a 1% decrease in traffic over the past six months. However, Twitter remained valuable for its role in breaking news, enabling the tracking of individuals on the ground during emerging crises or news events, and facilitating real-time monitoring of ongoing reporting.
What’s currently sustaining X is the fact that its competitors are still basic versions of Twitter. Bluesky, for instance, is exclusive and lacks video capabilities, while Threads doesn’t incorporate hashtags, and neither platform offers direct messaging features. Nevertheless, Threads has recently made rapid progress by introducing voice posts and an editing function within the last week.
The wider Techscape
Manisha Ganguly and Hibaq Farah from The Guardian conducted an investigation into the extensive dissemination of disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war online.
The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried is highly intriguing, with Caroline Ellison’s testimony, the former CEO of Alameda Research and Sam Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend, being particularly astonishing.
The California Delete Act, which enables individuals to request data brokers to delete the information they hold on them, is likely to be closely monitored by other jurisdictions worldwide.
ChatGPT has reached its one-year milestone. The impact of this AI on various fields is worth assessing.
In a separate report, it has been suggested that AI chatbots could potentially be used to plan a bioweapon attack, which is a concerning development.
Digital wallets have gained significant popularity in Australia, accounting for approximately 35% of card transactions. The Australian government is now considering regulating digital wallet services like Apple Wallet and traditional card providers. This may set a precedent for other countries.
The billionaire space race, with the world’s wealthiest individuals venturing into low-Earth orbit, has raised questions about the eventual cleanup of the mess they leave behind.
The Microsoft $69 billion takeover of Activision-Blizzard has concluded, marking the conclusion of a significant business saga.
