During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on kids’ online safety, X CEO Linda Yaccarino downplayed the social network’s reach among younger users, when she noted that less than 1% of the app’s U.S. users were teens ages 13 through 17. The executive put that number in context by also sharing that there were 90 million X users in the U.S. — a drop from its reported 95.4 million estimated users as of January 2023, according to data from Statistica.
Key Takeaway
X CEO Linda Yaccarino revealed that less than 1% of the app’s U.S. users are teenagers, while also sharing that the platform has 90 million users in the U.S. The company has emphasized its efforts to enhance child protection and safety measures, including the suspension of millions of user accounts for violating its child sexual exploitation policies.
Decline in Teen Users
Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, revealed during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that less than 1% of the app’s U.S. users are teenagers aged 13 to 17. This revelation comes alongside the announcement that the platform has 90 million users in the U.S., marking a decline from the previously reported 95.4 million users in January 2023, according to Statistica data.
Market Performance and Safety Measures
When Elon Musk acquired Twitter, now rebranded as X, the U.S. stood as its largest market. Musk claimed that the platform had grown to 550 million monthly active users, although it remains unclear if this figure includes fake accounts such as bots and spammers. Despite the potential decline in the U.S. user base, Yaccarino indicated that X’s overall user base was growing, with over 10 million new sign-ups in December 2023.
Challenges and Safety Efforts
Despite facing challenges related to child safety and exploitation, X has emphasized its efforts to enhance child protection and safety measures. The company shared that it suspended 12.4 million user accounts for violating its child sexual exploitation policies in 2023, a significant increase from the 2.3 million accounts removed in 2022. Additionally, X sent 850,000 reports to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, marking an eightfold increase since Musk’s acquisition.
