What’s Bluesky? Why are people leaving X for the new social media site? What to know
A relatively new social media platform has seen a massive uptick in users since the election.
After launching publicly in February, Bluesky’s user base has doubled in the past 90 days, and it has gained 2.5 million users in the last week, Reuters reported.
Bluesky’s growth comes as X is experiencing a mass exodus of users. At least two news outlets, Free Press and The Guardian, announced they are leaving the platform this week.
Prominent figures in North Carolina are taking to Bluesky too. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall posted a link to her Bluesky profile on Thursday, Nov. 14, as did Rep. Wiley Nickel.
Here’s what to know about Bluesky, and why people are leaving X (formerly known as Twitter) for the platform.
What is Bluesky?
Put simply, Bluesky is very similar to X. You can create posts, like, repost and reply — but there are a couple of key differences.
The platform allows users to hide individual posts on feeds and allows users to subscribe to curated block lists, Vox reported.
Bluesky also lacks a key feature X has: There is currently no way to make your account private on the platform.
Why are people leaving X for Bluesky?
The exodus from X could be due to owner Elon Musk’s rollbacks on content moderation.
Since taking over, Musk has removed moderators and restored accounts that were previously banned for racist language, CNN reported. There has also been a rise in sexist language on the platform in the last week, such as phrases like “your body, my choice.”
Musk has also used X to campaign for President-elect Donald Trump after previously stating that the platform should be “politically neutral,” NPR reported.
A recent report from Clemson University also revealed that hundreds of political propaganda accounts powered by artificial intelligence posed as real people on X to promote Republican candidates.
X also updated it’s terms of service on Friday, Nov. 15 to require users to agree to let their posts be trained by artificial intelligence, a move that many see as a breach of privacy, Forbes reported.
How to sign up for Bluesky
New users can access Bluesky at bsky.app. The app is also available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
To sign up, just enter your email address, choose a password, provide your birthday and choose a username. You’ll also have the option of adding a profile picture and selecting your interests to curate your feed.
This story was originally published November 15, 2024 at 3:55 PM with the headline "What’s Bluesky? Why are people leaving X for the new social media site? What to know."
