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X Is Dying In Europe: Here’s Why
I asked X about its massive losses in Europe.
“@grok, can you explain the massive drop in interactions in Europe with X?”
This is what Grok had to say and updated for today.
The significant decline in user interactions on X in Europe during 2025 can be attributed to several interconnected factors. The decline is primarily driven by changes in user sentiment. Additionally, platform policies and regulatory pressures play a role.
What follows is a detailed breakdown based on available information.
Decline in User Base
X has experienced a notable reduction in its European user base.
The platform lost approximately 11 million users in Europe from August 2024 to March 2025. Reports indicate a drop in monthly active users from around 105.99 million to 94.83 million, a 10.5% decline.
Logged-in users also decreased from 67 million to just over 61 million in the same period. This reduction in active users naturally leads to fewer interactions, as fewer people are engaging with the content. Major exoduses were reported in France (2.7 million), Poland (1.8 million), and Germany (1.3 million), with smaller countries like Lithuania and Luxembourg losing a quarter of their users.
https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/01/x_accounts_europe_drop/
https://www.politico.eu/article/elon-musk-x-europe-social-media-twitter-takes-hit/
Concerns Over Content Moderation
Since Elon Musk acquired X in 2022, there have been widespread concerns about a perceived decline in content moderation. This decline has led to increased misinformation and hate speech. This has alienated some European users who prefer platforms with stricter moderation policies, such as Bluesky. X’s reduction in moderation staff—from 2,294 in November 2023 to 1,275 by October 2024—has exacerbated these concerns. The platform relies heavily on Community Notes. Community Notes struggles to address contentious issues due to its requirement for cross-political consensus.
For several languages (e.g., Bulgarian, Croatian, Greek), X has only one moderator, which limits its ability to effectively manage content, further driving users away and reducing interactions.
Regulatory Pressures and Privacy Concerns
The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) has imposed stricter requirements on platforms like X. These requirements aim to combat illegal content and disinformation. X’s compliance efforts, such as age checks and data privacy updates, have sparked backlash. Some users find these changes intrusive. Posts on X show their frustration over being asked to provide personal data. Others are upset about the need to pay for VPNs to maintain access.
A user in France criticized X’s new data policies. They described them as a “fallacious update.” The user threatened to quit the platform. The European Federation of Journalists represents over 300,000 journalists. They announced their departure from X in August 2025. They cited regulatory and content concerns. These factors have led to reduced trust and engagement, contributing to fewer interactions.
Elon Musk’s Public Image and Political Stances
Musk’s outspoken support for right-wing political movements and figures has not resonated well with many European users. He supports groups such as the German AfD party and the Trump administration. They often lean toward more progressive or moderate values.
His perceived alignment with controversial figures and the reinstatement of previously banned accounts (e.g., Steve Bannon) have fueled perceptions of X as a platform that amplifies divisive content, prompting some users to disengage or leave entirely.
This sentiment is evident in posts criticising Musk as an “evil capitalist.” High-profile accounts, like the city of Paris and The Guardian, are also abandoning the platform.
https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/01/x_accounts_europe_drop/
https://www.politico.eu/article/elon-musk-x-europe-social-media-twitter-takes-hit/
Competition from Alternative Platforms
The rise of competing platforms, such as Threads and Bluesky, has drawn users away from X. These platforms are perceived as offering better moderation and less toxicity, appealing to users who are disillusioned with X’s direction. This migration reduces the pool of active users on X, directly impacting interaction rates.
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/x-formally-twitter-continues-to-lose-users-eu/731536/
https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/01/x_accounts_europe_drop/
Broader Contextual Factors
Broader geopolitical and economic challenges in Europe may affect user engagement indirectly. Issues such as stagnant growth and energy crises contribute to this impact. Shifting priorities toward defence and migration also play a role. These challenges are not directly tied to interactions. People may be spending less time on social media due to economic pressures. They might also be dissatisfied with X’s content. This could further contribute to the drop in interactions.
https://www.cgdev.org/blog/eu-2025-balancing-global-ambitions-and-domestic-pressures
Conclusion
The massive drop in interactions on X in Europe in 2025 is a result of a combination of factors. These factors include a shrinking user base and dissatisfaction with content moderation. There are also regulatory pressures from the EU’s DSA. Musk’s polarising public image contributes as well. Additionally, there is competition from alternative platforms.
These factors have created a feedback loop. Declining trust and user exodus result in fewer posts, likes, and shares.
X is not experiencing a total collapse yet. However, the 6–10% user loss since August 2023 signals a significant challenge for the platform’s engagement in the region (Europe).
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/x-formally-twitter-continues-to-lose-users-eu/731536/
https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/01/x_accounts_europe_drop/
https://www.politico.eu/article/elon-musk-x-europe-social-media-twitter-takes-hit/
Revisited, with the help of Google’s Gemini
The article you’ve shared captures a platform in the middle of a strategic and demographic death spiral. Viewed from February 2026, “not being kind” is more than a stylistic choice. It reflects the current data. X isn’t just losing users; it is losing its status as a viable public square in Europe.
Here is a critique of the article’s points, updated with the brutal reality of where things stand today.
1. The “11 Million” Figure was an Early Warning, Not the Bottom
The article cites a loss of 11 million users by early 2025. Today, we know that was just the leak before the dam broke. By the end of 2025, X’s Monthly Active Users (MAUs) in the EU hovered around 94 million. This was down from a peak of over 105 million.+1
- The Reality: X’s own DSA transparency reports in late 2025 showed a brief “spike.” Third-party data confirms this spike was largely driven by “doom-scrolling” during geopolitical crises. It was not a result of healthy engagement.
- The Critique: The article is almost too gentle here. It focuses on numbers but misses the “Quality of Life” decline. High-value, “normie” demographics and institutional accounts are the users leaving. This departure leaves behind a concentrated pool of bots and hyper-partisan echo chambers.
2. Content Moderation: A Skeleton Crew in a burning building
The article notes the drop in staff to 1,275. By now, the situation is even more dire.
- The Disaster: Relying on Community Notes to police a continent with 24 official languages was a fool’s errand. In 2025, it was revealed that for several Eastern European languages, X had zero native-speaking moderators.
- The Consequence: This didn’t just “alienate” users; it made the platform legally toxic. Advertisers didn’t leave because they were “woke.” They left because their ads for toothpaste were appearing next to unregulated, illegal hate speech. This speech violates the Digital Services Act (DSA).
3. The “Free Speech” vs. “Legal Reality” Collision
The article mentions “regulatory pressures.” Let’s call it what it is: The EU is currently dismantling X’s ability to operate.
- The €120M Fine: In December 2025, the EU imposed a massive fine on X. This was due to “deceptive” blue checkmarks and lack of transparency.
- Grok’s Legal Failure: The article mentions Grok, but doesn’t mention the February 2026 raid on X’s Paris offices. French prosecutors are now treating certain algorithmically-boosted content as a criminal offense, not a moderation “oopsie.”
- The Critique: The article frames this as “privacy concerns.” It’s actually a sovereignty war. European agencies are taking action because Musk refuses to follow the law. They are migrating civil servants and government agencies to “sovereign” alternatives. These include the newly announced “W” platform or Mastodon.
4. The “Capitalist” Image vs. The Product
The article cites users calling Musk an “evil capitalist.” That’s a surface-level critique. The real issue is Brand Suicide.
- The Institutional Exodus: The Guardian left the platform. The European Federation of Journalists also departed. Even the City of Paris exited. They took the “primary source” value of the platform with them.
- The Result: X has shifted from a news-breaking tool to a secondary-reaction tool. People now go to Threads or Bluesky to see what happened. They only go to X to see the ensuing flamewar.
5. Competition: From “Niche” to “Standard”
The article mentions Bluesky and Threads. In early 2025, they were alternatives. In 2026, they are the default for European media.
- The Stats: X’s market share in Europe has dipped below 3% (according to Statcounter). Meanwhile, Meta’s Threads has successfully integrated into the Instagram ecosystem. It effectively captures the “public square” vibe that X abandoned.
The Final Verdict
The article concludes that X is “not experiencing a total collapse yet.” Looking at it from today, that conclusion is delusional. X is currently a Zombie Platform in Europe. It has a body, which includes the infrastructure and a base of addicted users. However, the soul is dead. This includes the institutional trust, the advertisers, and the legal right to operate without massive friction. Musk tried to use X as a geopolitical crowbar. This attempt led to the EU building a door he can’t get through.
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Revisited
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