Between October 27 and November 1, 11,535 accounts were found to have been closed down. When accounts are removed for being inactive, inauthenticity, or violation of site rules, a further 6,224 were suspended. In the week before the purchase, only 5,958 accounts were suspended or deleted, suggesting a 208% increase in account losses.
The increase in deactivations is believed to be the result of people upset with Musk purchasing the site and deciding to stop using it.
Manoel Ribeiro is an academic at EPFL Lausanne who studies niche internet communities and how they are affected by moderation policies. He says that there seems to be an attempt from many to migrate to another platform.
A request for comment was not responded to by the company. The email was not responded to by Musk.
There has been an increase in the number of account suspensions due to hate speech on the site now that it is under Musk's control. He believes that the increase in suspensions is due to the fact that they are trying to see if they can push the boundaries of free speech. It is not known what proportion of those who have been suspended have been judged to be inauthentic.
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