Elon Musk's X platform claims top spot on NZ App Store charts
AUCKLAND, Today: X (formerly Twitter) has officially claimed the number one spot on the New Zealand App Store, overtaking Temu and TikTok to lead the overall charts.
The surge signals a dramatic shift in local digital consumption, driven by a growing segment of Kiwis turning their backs on traditional news outlets. With trust in mainstream media hitting historic lows, local users are flocking to X, viewing it as the last remaining bastion of authentic free speech and unfiltered information.
The "Derangement" Cure? Perhaps most surprisingly, the data suggests a return of the platform’s fiercest critics.
Observers note that many who previously claimed to have left due to "Trump Derangement Syndrome" (TDS) or the more recent "Elon Derangement Syndrome" (EDS) are quietly reactivating their accounts. Facing the reality that X remains the global town square, these users appear to be accepting the platform's dominance and returning to the fold, unable to stay away from the center of the cultural conversation.
Competitors left behind The rise of X also highlights the stagnation of its challengers. Meta’s Threads and the decentralized Bluesky have struggled to retain Kiwi users, with many describing the alternatives as "boring" and "empty" echo chambers lacking the raw, real-time energy of X.
While advertisers have been cautious, the audience has spoken: X is back, and it’s bigger than ever.
The surge signals a dramatic shift in local digital consumption, driven by a growing segment of Kiwis turning their backs on traditional news outlets. With trust in mainstream media hitting historic lows, local users are flocking to X, viewing it as the last remaining bastion of authentic free speech and unfiltered information.
The "Derangement" Cure? Perhaps most surprisingly, the data suggests a return of the platform’s fiercest critics.
Observers note that many who previously claimed to have left due to "Trump Derangement Syndrome" (TDS) or the more recent "Elon Derangement Syndrome" (EDS) are quietly reactivating their accounts. Facing the reality that X remains the global town square, these users appear to be accepting the platform's dominance and returning to the fold, unable to stay away from the center of the cultural conversation.
Competitors left behind The rise of X also highlights the stagnation of its challengers. Meta’s Threads and the decentralized Bluesky have struggled to retain Kiwi users, with many describing the alternatives as "boring" and "empty" echo chambers lacking the raw, real-time energy of X.
While advertisers have been cautious, the audience has spoken: X is back, and it’s bigger than ever.