What Is Bluesky? The App That Is Set To Rival X

A new social media platform, Bluesky, is rapidly gaining popularity, especially as users flock to it following a mass exodus from Elon Musk’s X platform.

According to the Guardian, over 1 million users have joined Bluesky, which is seen as a potential competitor to X. The platform was originally developed in 2019 by former Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey to decentralize Twitter. Officially launched in 2021 under Jay Gruber, Bluesky offers similar functionality to X, with users able to interact, message, and post about their interests. However, Bluesky distinguishes itself by giving users greater control over filtering the content they choose to see.

“This includes the ability to select the algorithm that drives what you see, helping create custom feeds, for example, a feed for mutual followers, a feed for cat photos, or one for your special interest,” the website notes.

Bluesky offers users the option to use website addresses as their handles, which could serve as a form of verification for journalists, athletes, and other public figures. This feature helps distinguish legitimate accounts from bots by allowing individuals or organizations to include their company’s website in their handles. 

As reported by Forbes, Bluesky reached over 1 million users this month, and saw a significant spike of 5.5 million new users following the Nov. 5 election, bringing its total user count to over 20 million.

Why are people leaving X? 

There is no exact data on how many users have migrated from X to Bluesky, but a significant shift seems to be underway. According to Forbes, X had 611 million global users in April, but that number dropped to 588 million by September, with the largest losses occurring in the U.S. and U.K. A YouGov survey from August found that 42% of daily X users held a negative view of the platform. Many users are leaving X in the wake of a 2023 warning from the European Commission, which cited the platform’s high levels of disinformation compared to other social media sites.

After receiving the warning, Musk and his team implemented several changes to the app, including a feature where the AI chatbot directs users to reliable sources for factual information about topics being discussed on the platform, Aljazeera noted.

How does Bluesky combat internet bullies?

Bluesky stands out for its “anti-toxicity” features, which help users combat online harassment. According to the Guardian, the platform allows users to detach their original posts from someone else’s quoted repost, preventing people from trolling or sharing mean comments. This contrasts with X, which recently updated its block function, enabling users to see still posts from public accounts that have blocked them. The app also gives users the ability to block individuals who aren’t signed into their accounts from viewing their content, ensuring that only signed-in users can access it, according to the app’s privacy features. 

Lizzo, Mark Hamill, and more have joined Bluesky.

Lizzo, Drew Carey, and Star Wars actor Mark Hamill have recently joined Bluesky, with Hamill proudly declaring himself a “Twitter Quitter” in a post on Nov. 18.

Lizzo, who joined the platform on Nov. 13, praised Bluesky, likening it to the positive, pre-2019 feel of social media, “before bots before discourse wars before incentivized hate” and “before monetized harassment,” she added in her post shared on Nov. 14.

Have you joined Bluesky? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below. Have you exited Musk’s X as well?

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