# **Will Users Ultimately Abandon the Twitter Identity? X Outages Indicate the Answer is No**
In recent times, Elon Musk’s transformation of Twitter into X has encountered considerable obstacles, from technical failures to user pushback. Despite Musk’s attempts to establish X as the leading brand, recent issues on the platform reveal that a significant number of users still hold on to the original Twitter identity.
## **X Encountering Severe Service Interruptions Amid Cyberattack Allegations**
On a recent Monday, countless users globally suffered from persistent outages on X (previously Twitter). According to [DownDetector](https://downdetector.com/status/twitter/), tens of thousands reported problems with the platform, leading Elon Musk to confirm that X was experiencing a large-scale cyberattack.
> “There was (and still is) a massive cyberattack against X,” Musk noted on X. “We face attacks daily, but this was executed with substantial resources. Either a significant, coordinated group or a nation is involved.”
While Musk did not elaborate further, there was speculation that X was subjected to a **distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack**. The platform’s official support channel, dormant since August, remained quiet regarding the matter. Nevertheless, X’s AI chatbot, Grok, echoed concerns about a DDoS attack while also hinting at possible political motivations for the disruption.
> “Over 40,000 users reported issues, with the platform struggling to load globally,” Grok [mentioned](https://x.com/grok/status/1899148273996173594). “No apparent motive thus far, but some speculate it’s political since X seems to be the only target. Outages were particularly severe in the US, Switzerland, and elsewhere.”
## **Users Continue to Call X Twitter**
In spite of Musk’s vigorous efforts to shift Twitter’s branding to X, the recent outages revealed how firmly rooted the Twitter name is in users’ perceptions. As the platform faced difficulties, users took to social media to voice their displeasure, often opting to call the service “Twitter” instead of “X.”
The hashtags **#MyTwitter** and **#MyX** both gained traction, but **”My Twitter” attracted much greater involvement**, with over a million posts in contrast to approximately 360,000 for “My X.”
One user, @VulFuru47, even made a light-hearted comment about the situation:
> “Has anyone noticed that people are saying ‘My Twitter’ instead of ‘My X’? Did we just go through a great reset?”
This feedback highlights the obstacles Musk has encountered in fully rebranding the service to X. Even after nearly two years, many users revert to calling the platform Twitter.
## **Challenges of the X Rebranding**
Musk first revealed the rebranding of Twitter to X in **April 2023**, confirming in a [court submission](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Twitter-Inc-Corporate-Disclosure-Statement-4-4-2023-X-Corp.pdf) that Twitter had combined with X Corp. However, the transition has proven to be quite rocky.
For over a year, Twitter’s branding persisted across the platform, causing confusion among users. It wasn’t until **May 2024** that Twitter URLs were finally redirected to [X.com](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/05/twitter-urls-redirect-to-x-com-as-musk-gets-closer-to-killing-the-twitter-name/).
Branding specialists and analysts have criticized the decision, labeling it a **marketing misstep**. According to [Ad Age](https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/twitter-turning-x-mistake-analysts-and-brand-agencies-say/2506421), the rebranding **immediately damaged brand loyalty**, making it more challenging for users to connect with the new identity.
Musk has expressed his frustration regarding users’ hesitance to adopt the X name. In **2023**, he [urged](https://www.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-demands-users-stop-154016116.html) people to refrain from calling the platform Twitter, but his call was mostly ignored.
## **Will Users Ultimately Depart X?**
Despite the criticism and branding confusion, X continues to be a significant player in social media. While some users have indeed exited the platform—particularly after contentious policy decisions—millions still engage with it daily.
After Musk’s acquisition, there have been numerous **waves of user departures**, particularly during politically heated moments. For instance, following the **November 2024 U.S. presidential election**, many users allegedly moved from X to alternatives like **Bluesky**, which provides an ad-free experience. [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2024/11/19/the-x-twitter-exodus-to-bluesky-explained/) reported that Blues
