‘X,’ formerly known as Twitter, is a social media platform where users share opinions, news, and entertainment and even engage in commercial marketing using hashtags and real-time updates.
Through the years, the app has played a significant role in raising awareness about current events and social issues, particularly among younger generations.
In 2022, Elon Musk took control of the platform by first acquiring over 9% of its shares and later making a $44 billion offer to purchase it entirely. Musk’s vision was to transform Twitter into a hub for free speech.
He made sweeping changes after the acquisition, including firing top executives and laying off nearly half of the workforce. In November 2022, Musk introduced Twitter Blue, a paid verification service, which led to widespread impersonations, causing chaos across the platform.
By 2023, the platform had evolved under Musk’s leadership, rebranding as ‘X’ and replacing the iconic blue bird logo with a fan-designed ‘X.’
According to a Money Control report, Musk’s fascination with the letter “X” traces back to his earlier ventures, such as X.com (which later became PayPal), SpaceX, and Tesla’s Model X. His ambitions for X include incorporating AI-powered banking, messaging, and payments into the platform.
Musk’s operational overhaul involved paywalling several features, banning third-party apps, and instituting paid verification. These cost-cutting measures have led to multiple lawsuits, including laying off 80% of the staff and closing offices.
Despite these changes and the rebranding, many long-time users still view the app as “Twitter.”
Some users have expressed that the platform’s original name and logo remain deeply ingrained, making Musk’s rebrand less effective in shifting public perception despite the significant operational and structural changes.
The well-known blue bird symbol offered a solid emotional bond with users, particularly with regular users who fondly remember the platform’s beginnings and a sense of community. Even in media circles, stories and articles that have references to a post made on X still carry the context “formerly known as Twitter.”
Many people believe that the rebranding is merely surface-level, that the new name sounds like a porn site, and that Twitter’s core function and identity remains unchanged. A lot of people still refer to the app as “Twitter,” say tweet rather than “post,” and accept its function as a central location for exchanging ideas, information, and movements.
This sentimental connection highlights Twitter’s deeply embedded legacy, even in the face of Musk’s attempts to change the company’s image.
The term “Twitter” still resonates with users, symbolizing the special place it once held in influencing global conversations, even though “X” represents Musk’s vision of an expanding, all-in-one service. It indicates that brand changes—even in the tech industry—take time to become ingrained and may conflict with how customers view and interact with a product.
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