Europe is set to launch its own social media platform, W, billed as a safer and more trustworthy alternative to Elon Musk’s X, as concerns grow over disinformation, platform governance, and political influence. The platform, led by Swiss privacy expert and W CEO Anna Zeiter, will require identity verification to combat bots and false accounts, which European policymakers see as a key driver of online misinformation. Zeiter said “systemic disinformation is eroding public trust and weakening democratic decision-making,” adding that the platform’s name reflects its core principles: “We,” “Values,” and “Verify,” with the added symbolism that “the fact that W comes before X in the alphabet is certainly also a welcome coincidence.”
Despite growing dissatisfaction with X following Musk’s takeover, analysts say persuading users to abandon the platform entirely will be difficult. Author Cory Doctorow argues that social networks are deliberately designed with high switching costs that lock users into established communities, making it hard to rebuild connections elsewhere. Previous migrations to platforms such as Mastodon and Bluesky initially gained momentum but failed to sustain engagement, particularly among academics and institutions. Studies found that long-established networks and years of posting history proved “too significant to overcome,” especially for businesses and public bodies reliant on large followings.
Bluesky’s experience highlights the challenge facing W. While the platform grew rapidly to 40 million users in 2025, it still trails far behind X’s estimated 600 million users globally and around 102 million active users in the European Union as of October 2025. Prashant Garg, a researcher at Imperial College Business School, said, “A new platform can look great, but it only feels ‘alive’ once users quickly find the same people they already talk to.” He noted that fast community rebuilding and contact discovery are critical to long-term user retention.
Another potential obstacle for W is mandatory identity verification. While nearly half of Europeans support real-name policies, critics warn of data protection risks and identity theft if sensitive documents are compromised. Supporters point to LinkedIn, which introduced optional ID verification in 2023 and has verified more than 100 million users without reported breaches. Ultimately, analysts say W’s success may hinge on political developments, growing European distrust of Musk, and whether governments and institutions choose to shift their presence from X to the new platform — a move that, so far, has proven easier said than done.