Observed Signal · Oct 27, 2023 · Earnings Report · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Negative
One Year of Elon Musk: X Popularity Shifts
Approximately one year after Elon Musk took over Twitter, now known as X, Similarweb released traffic data showing declines in X's reach. Globally, X web traffic dropped 14% year over year, the steepest decline in more than three years, with Germany down 18%, the United States down 19%, and the United Kingdom and France down 12% and 13% respectively. In the first nine months of the year, global web traffic was down 7% versus the prior year, and mobile app usage fell 14.8%. In Q3 alone, global user traffic declined about 10% since the platform's rebranding in July 2023. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's own profile traffic rose 96% year over year in September 2023. In Germany, X remains the third-most-popular platform with 104 million monthly active accounts, behind Facebook and Instagram. X claimed 90% of the largest advertisers had returned, but independent data suggest a different picture.
Significant traffic metrics for a major social platform with advertiser dynamics; data contest statements by the platform.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Similarweb reports X web traffic down 14% globally year over year.
- Germany traffic down 18%, US down 19%, UK down 12%, France down 13%.
- First nine months of the year: global web traffic down 7%; mobile app down 14.8%.
- Q3 2023: global user traffic down ~10% since July 2023 rebranding.
- Elon Musk's profile traffic up 96% YoY in September 2023.
Connected Companies & Entities
5 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
X Loses Users in EU and Globally, Ad Revenue Declines
X (formerly Twitter) is losing users in the EU and worldwide, with ad revenue declining sharply. Per DSA data, EU monthly active users fell to 100.9 million, down from 102 million. Similarweb data shows 123.7 million daily active mobile users in July 2026, a 7% drop year-over-year. Ad revenue for H1 2026 was $710 million, down 18.4% from the previous year. The platform also faces regulatory pressure from the EU Commission, which fined X €120 million under the DSA. The decline in user engagement threatens not only X's advertising business but also the data supply for Musk's AI company xAI, which trains Grok on X posts.
X's Advertiser Base Resembles Pre‑Musk Era
Third‑party data from Sensor Tower indicates that many large advertisers that left X after Elon Musk’s takeover have returned in 2026, though spending patterns differ from the platform’s pre‑Musk era. The largest U.S. ad verticals on X so far in 2026 are media & entertainment (24%), shopping (13%), software (12%), financial services (11%) and gaming (8%); Sensor Tower says each vertical is spending at the “eight‑figure level” in the U.S. Top advertisers by U.S. spend include Comcast, Amazon, the NFL, xAI, Google, Dell, AT&T, NBA, SpaceX and American Express, with varying year‑over‑year changes. X’s S‑1 filing and third‑party analysts note the platform is still recovering — X reported a $595 million decline in ad revenue in 2024 — and advertisers are favoring event‑driven, tentpole moments over always‑on buys. X recently announced a major ad platform overhaul and is pitching AI and performance features to win back ad dollars.
Grok Bot Searches X, Integrates Rival AI Models
SpaceXAI has enhanced its AI agent Grok Bot with the ability to continuously search and analyze the entire X platform. Users can now deploy the agent for 24/7 social listening, brand monitoring, and trend analysis, similar to Google's Information Agents. Grok Bot will also integrate other AI models from competitors, such as Claude Opus 5.5, Midjourney, and Suno, depending on the task. This move signals a shift towards multi-model AI agents and expands the capabilities of AI-driven social media analytics.
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