X Usage Declined in the EU in the Second Half of 2025

Why It Matters

The decline signals potential revenue pressure in Europe and raises regulatory scrutiny, while the shrinking moderation team could affect content safety compliance.

Key Takeaways

• EU active users fell 15% to 64.8M.
• First half 2025 had 76M active EU users.
• Moderation staff cut by over 50% since 2023.
• Musk's global usage claims contrast EU dip.

Pulse Analysis

The European Union’s Digital Services Act forces large platforms to publish granular usage and moderation data, offering a rare window into X’s performance in a market that accounts for a sizable share of its advertising revenue. The latest DSA filing shows active EU accounts falling to 64.8 million, a 15 percent drop from the first half of the year. This contrast with Musk’s global usage proclamations highlights the difficulty of reconciling internal metrics with publicly‑claimed milestones, especially when the company is no longer required to disclose full user counts.

For marketers and investors, the EU dip carries immediate financial implications. Advertisers often allocate budgets based on active user volume and engagement quality; a shrinking audience can depress CPM rates and erode the platform’s bargaining power against rivals such as Meta, TikTok, and emerging niche networks. Moreover, the reduction in moderation staff—from 2,294 in November 2023 to just over 1,000—raises concerns about X’s ability to meet DSA obligations, potentially inviting fines or forced corrective actions that would further strain profitability.

Looking ahead, X must decide whether to double‑down on growth initiatives in Europe or re‑orient resources toward markets where user momentum remains positive. Strengthening moderation capacity could restore regulator confidence and protect brand safety, while targeted feature rollouts or localized content strategies might recapture lost users. Until the company aligns its public narrative with verifiable regional data, the EU trend will remain a barometer for X’s broader competitive standing and its capacity to sustain long‑term monetization.