X Suspension Leads to Mass Migration of Brazilians to Other Social Media Sites

Millions of Brazilians, including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have flocked to social media platforms like Threads and Bluesky in the wake of the recent ban on Elon Musk’s X. Within days of X being shut down in Brazil, Portuguese has become the most spoken language on these new platforms.

Bluesky, created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, has seen a surge in popularity, adding over two million new users since the ban was enforced. The platform now boasts 7.6 million users in Brazil. Meanwhile, Threads, launched by Meta—owner of Facebook and Instagram—has also seen a significant uptick in interest, with searches for the platform quadrupling since the X suspension.

The block on X, formerly known as Twitter, was imposed by the country’s Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes as part of his campaign against disinformation. Musk’s refusal to comply with several court orders led to this decisive action.

As a result of the ban, Bluesky and Threads have become the most downloaded apps in Brazil according to the Google Play Store.

The future of social media in Brazil remains uncertain as users adapt to new platforms.

Political figures are also adapting to the change. President Lula has begun posting regularly on both Threads and Bluesky, while his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro remains on Threads but has not yet joined Bluesky, preferring to use the platform to direct followers to Telegram.