Published 1 day ago • loading... • Updated 6 hours ago

European Social Network "W" Challenges Elon Musk’s X

Sweden-Based platform W launches as an invite-only service in the coming days, positioning itself as a competitor to Elon Musk's X while aiming to keep data and revenue in Europe.
CEO Anna Zeiter said, "Social media are coming from other countries outside of Europe. We are giving away the revenue. We are giving away our attention," highlighting the company's mission to retain European control.
Meta's Facebook and Instagram have 259 million monthly users, while Chinese-owned TikTok has 135.9 million and Elon Musk's platform has approximately 115.1 million according to the EU; W aims to prioritize human interaction over AI bots.
At a Brussels launch event, the company touted that top officials including Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Costa, and Christine Lagarde were using W. Zeiter said the tech team is based in Ukraine.
Other fledgling networks seeking to capitalize on transatlantic tensions under President Donald Trump since his return last year include Bulle, Eurosky, and Monnett, positioning W as part of a broader European tech sovereignty movement.

Insights by Ground AI

49 Articles

EU establishment rallies behind and anti-Musk social network

A new social media platform, W Social, aims to be Europe's alternative to Musk's X, promoting verified user interaction and compliance with EU regulations amid concerns about its ties to EU institutions. Source

10 hours ago·Belgium

Read Full Article

EU Observer

Lean Left

W, the European social platform that wants to take on X

As W’s founders pitch a “bot-free” alternative to Elon Musk’s X, they now face the brutal test of proving their business model can actually hold up in the real world.

11 hours ago·Brussel, Belgium

Read Full Article

Euronews

Center

What is ‘W,’ Europe’s attempt to replace Elon Musk’s X?

The Swedish-based “W” platform” is the latest in a series of new social media sites vying to replace US Big Tech companies.

14 hours ago·France

Read Full Article

REALITATEA.NET

Right

The European Commission Has Made Its Own Social Network, Competing with Facebook and Taking Elon Musk's X Out of Play

The European Commission announced on Thursday that it took account of the new social network W, inaugurated on the previous day and presented as a 'European alternative' to the social network X owned by Elon Musk, but stressed that it will not leave any of the other 15 such platforms on which it is present.

1 day ago

Read Full Article

NRC Handelsblad

Lean Left

How the ‘New Social Medium’ W Social Managed to Seduce the European Commission

The world of alternative social media was quite taken by surprise in January during the World Economic Forum in Davos. A Swedish entrepreneur, Ingmar Rentzhog,…

1 day ago·Netherlands (Kingdom of the)

Read Full Article

Sapo

Lean Right

The European Social Network W Is Born that Wants to Compete with X

"We are based in Europe, we have infrastructures and data centres in Europe, we operate under European legislation and only Europeans can be shareholders of the company," the company said.

1 day ago·Portugal

Read Full Article

Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/year