What is Bluesky and why are so many people suddenly leaving X for the platform? | Blue sky

On By Littum

The big X-odus is on the way, with more than 1 million new users joining social media platform Bluesky since the US election.

It comes as many look set to flee the platform amid warnings from anti-hate speech campaign groups and the EU about misinformation and extremism at Elon Musk’s X.

Here we take a look at what exactly Bluesky is, why it’s proving so popular, and who’s already taken the plunge.

What is Bluesky?

Bluesky is a social media platform where people can interact much like they do on X, posting, replying and messaging each other on a vertical user interface.

The recent influx of new users, mainly from North America and Britain, has helped it reach more than 15 million users worldwide, up from 9 million in September, the company said.

How did it start and who owns it?

Bluesky began as a project inside Twitter after its CEO Jack Dorsey announced in 2019 that the giant would fund developers to create an “open and decentralized social media standard.”

It became an independent company in 2022 and is now primarily owned by CEO Jay Graber.

How is it different from X?

Bluesky allows users to moderate their experience to a greater degree.

This includes the ability to choose the algorithm that powers your experience and helps create custom feeds, for example a feed for mutual followers, a feed for cat pictures or one for your particular interest.

Bluesky also allows users to have website addresses as their handles, which it envisions could act as a verification tool for journalists, athletes and public figures who have a company’s website in their handle.

How does Bluesky deal with trolls?

While X appears to deregulate the user experience, Bluesky recently changed its blocking feature to allow users to see posts from public accounts that have blocked them, but Bluesky touts its “anti-toxicity” features.

These include allowing users to separate their original posts from someone else’s quote posts, preventing unwanted interactions.

Why are people leaving X for Bluesky?

The platform has previously benefited from discontent with X and its billionaire owner, Elon Musk, who is closely linked to US President Donald Trump’s successful election campaign.

Bluesky reported that it picked up 3 million new users in the week after X was suspended in Brazil in September, and another 1.2 million in the two days after X announced it would allow users to see posts from people who had blocked you.

X users have also reported an increase in bots making the site difficult to use.

Who already uses it?

Several MPs have already taken the plunge, including Defense Secretary Jess Phillips, Liberal Democrat technology spokeswoman Layla Moran and Labour’s Diane Abbott.

American actor Jamie Lee Curtis has been vocal about her decision to leave X after she shared a screenshot confirming she had deactivated her account in a post on Instagram.

TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham, comedian Dara O Briain and Countdown’s Susie Dent are also among the public figures on the network.