Mastodon has seen a significant increase in users following the acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk. In just one month, Mastodon’s user base has grown from 300,000 to 2.5 million.
Mastodon’s founder, Eugen Rochko, made an announcement about the milestone in a blog post.
“While there is no shortage of social media platforms new and old, this is a radically different approach to social media that offers something traditional social media cannot. This may be one of the reasons why Mastodon has recently exploded in popularity, jumping from approx. 300K monthly active users to 2.5M between the months of October and November, with more and more journalists, political figures, writers, actors and organizations moving over.”
Mastodon’s growth following Twitter’s acquisition
Mastodon’s growth can be largely attributed to the controversial decisions made by Elon Musk since his arrival at Twitter in October.
These include the suspension of accounts belonging to independent journalists and major news outlets. These actions have caused many users to turn to Mastodon as an alternative platform that offers “greater freedom of expression.”
“Understanding that freedom of the press is absolutely essential for a functional democracy, we are excited to see Mastodon grow and become a household name in newsrooms across the world, and we are committed to continuing to improve our software to face up to new challenges that come with rapid growth and increasing demand,” said Eugen Rochko.
Mastodon as a decentralized alternative to Twitter
Mastodon offers a decentralized alternative to Twitter, with users able to create their own servers and have full control over their content.
This allows for “greater freedom of expression” and the ability to curate one’s own social media experience.
In contrast, centralized platforms like Twitter have the power to arbitrarily impose limits on what users can say and do, as demonstrated by the recent suspension of accounts belonging to independent journalists and news outlets.
Mastodon’s decentralized structure also makes it less vulnerable to censorship and manipulation by outside forces.
Mastodon’s future as a viable alternative to Twitter
Despite its rapid growth, Mastodon still has a long way to go before it can compete with Twitter in terms of user base and influence.
However, the platform’s decentralized structure and commitment to freedom of expression make it an attractive alternative for those looking for a more customizable and censor-resistant social media experience.
With more and more journalists, politicians, writers, actors, and organizations joining the platform, Mastodon has the potential to become a major player in the social media world.
Mastodon’s sudden growth following the acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk is a testament to the increasing demand for alternative social media platforms that prioritize free expression and decentralization.
While Mastodon’s future remains uncertain, its commitment to these principles has attracted a significant number of users in a short period of time.
It will be interesting to see how Mastodon continues to evolve and how it will be impacted by the ongoing debate around censorship and freedom of expression on social media.