Social Platform Post Attracts More Users Amid Twitter Backlash

Twitter users irked by Elon Musk's chaotic reign at the influential social media platform have been searching for alternatives. 

One option, Post, is gaining traction. More than 610,000 people have signed up for Post's waitlist since the platform launched 30 days ago, Post's founder Noam Bardin said in a post on Wednesday. About 309,000 of those on Post's waitlist have activated their accounts.

Post's growth is an example of how rival social networks have benefited from Twitter's uncertain future. Post describes itself as a platform for "real people, real news, civil conversations." Social media users, including on Twitter, have long complained about fake accounts, misinformation and hate speech. User backlash against Twitter reached new heights over the weekend after the company started blocking links to rivals including Post. Twitter then scrapped the new rules against promoting alternative social media platforms. About 87% of Twitter users also voted against the idea in a poll the company created.

Bardin, former CEO at Waze, tweeted on Dec. 18 that Post users are able to link to other social networks. "We make it easy to add all your social media links to your profile since none of us only use one platform. Freedom = Choice," he tweeted.

The Twitter backlash has also provided an opportunity for other social networks to attract new users. Mastodon, another Twitter alternative, said that in October and November its monthly active users grew from 300,000 to 2.5 million. Mastodon is "decentralized," meaning it's made up of different communities with their own rules rather than being a single site. That means Mastodon has been tough for some users to navigate, so they've also been trying out other platforms such as Post.

Post's goal is to completely remove the waitlist, Bardin said, and it's about six to eight weeks from that goal.