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As discontent with Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) grows, Bluesky has emerged as a fresh alternative, attracting millions of users in search of a better social media experience.
Founded in 2019 by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky offers a decentralised approach to online interactions, promising greater user control and transparency. With over 16 million users and counting, the platform’s rapid rise highlights shifting priorities within the social media ecosystem.
But what is Bluesky and why is it attracting millions of new users?
Bluesky started as an experimental project in 2019, designed to rethink the fundamentals of social media. It remained invitation-only until February 2024, allowing developers to address technical challenges, refine moderation tools, and stabilise its infrastructure.
This exclusivity initially kept its user base small—just 3 million in February 2024—but by September, it had grown exponentially, reaching 13 million users. Now, the platform that has taken over the app store charts, with recent reports indicating a growth of one million new subscribers in just a single day.
Dorsey, who originally founded the platform, eventually stepped down from Bluesky’s board in May 2024, deleting his account a few months later. The platform, now led by CEO Jay Graber, is primarily owned as a US public benefit corporation.
The signup process for Bluesky is straightforward, requiring users to provide an email address, password, and date of birth. The platform mimics the familiar functionality of X, with a vertical timeline for posts, replies, and direct messages.
However, Bluesky’s standout feature is its adoption of the AT Protocol, a decentralised framework that redefines how user data is managed. Unlike traditional platforms, where your data is stored and controlled by the company, Bluesky allows you to host your own data or choose a third-party provider.
This approach gives users the ability to leave the platform without losing their digital footprint, offering a stark contrast to the walled-garden model seen in platforms like X.
Elon Musk’s controversial management of X has been a major driver of users fleeing the platform. Since his acquisition in October 2022, Musk laid off nearly 80 per cent of Twitter’s workforce, leading to diminished platform functionality. Users have since reported a surge in bots and toxic behaviour, leading to overall dissatisfaction.
The tipping point, however, came during the 2024 US presidential election, where X faced criticism for amplifying extremist content and misinformation. When Donald Trump, a Musk ally, won re-election, the platform also announced plans to allow blocked users to view public posts, further alienating its audience.
According to analytics firm SimilarWeb, 115,000 US users deleted their X accounts in the immediate aftermath, the highest since Musk’s takeover.
Bluesky, by contrast, has positioned itself as the antidote to these issues, emphasising on transparency, user control, and effective moderation.
Bluesky markets itself as ‘the last social media account you’ll ever need’—a bold claim that rests on its commitment to decentralisation and user empowerment.
The platform promises to minimise the influence of black-box algorithms that dictate what users see on their feeds. Instead, it allows users to customise their experience with features like custom feeds and moderation tools, offering thousands of feeds on a wide range of topics to choose from.
Unlike X, which has faced criticism for weak moderation, Bluesky integrates safety features into its design. With a focus on 'anti-toxicity' measures, the platform offers tools such as hiding replies, prioritising notification filters, applying blocks to lists, and detaching quote posts from the original post, all aimed at reducing online harassment.
Despite its rapid growth and innovative features, Bluesky faces significant challenges. The platform experienced outages earlier this month, due to a surge of new users, highlighting the strain on its infrastructure.
While Bluesky offers private direct messaging (DMs), these messages are not encrypted, meaning they could potentially be accessed by moderators or staff for safety investigations. Critics argue this undermines the platform’s commitment to user privacy.
Finding the right balance between freedom of expression and effective moderation will be a key challenge for the platform moving forward. While the platform’s anti-toxicity measures are a step in the right direction, questions remain about how they will scale with a larger user base.
It’s also important to note that Bluesky is entering a fragmented social media landscape. X remains the leading force with over 317 million users, while platforms like Threads, TikTok, and Mastodon cater to specific demographics. To carve out a lasting niche, Bluesky must offer nuanced features that differentiate it from its competitors.
At the moment, Bluesky seems to have become a safe space for those left frustrated and disappointed with X, including users seeking meaningful interaction. The platform's emphasis on moderation and user control has also attracted celebrities and influencers looking for a less ‘toxic’ environment.
However, Bluesky’s rise signals a broader shift in user expectations for social media. As platforms like X struggle with declining trust, Bluesky’s focus on transparency and safety will continue to resonate with a growing audience.
somya@khaleejtimes.com
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