Described as a “caring” social network, Bluesky is enjoying a meteoric rise and continues to receive an influx of users looking to flee X, formerly Twitter, for what critics describe as a toxic environment under the leadership of Elon Musk.
Many X (formerly Twitter) users are fed up with changes to the site, from questionable blocking features to the blue check mark fiasco. As a result, many are flocking to Bluesky, a similar platform created by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
Although Bluesky is much newer than X, CNET reports that it has already accumulated 20 million users, often gaining more than a million per day since the US presidential election. It also ranks highly in the free apps section of the US App Store for iPhone users. Even celebrities like Star Wars legend Mark Hamill and famed horror author Stephen King have joined the growing platform.
When Musk initially bought Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022 and sought to overhaul the platform to fit his “absolutist free speech” vision, several platforms old and new vied to become the point disembarkation of people seeking to leave the site.
Instagram’s Mastodon and Threads were among the initial top contenders in the race, but neither was able to secure the position as X’s main competitor.
Changes made to the platform during Musk’s tenure include neutralizing the blocking feature and creating a paid subscription for verification. The CEO has also been increasingly vocal in support of right-wing issues and President-elect Donald Trump.
Some users mock the platform’s content, including the prevalence of disinformation and misinformation, conspiracy theories, harassment and abuse, the sharp increase in hate speech, and the highlighting of Nazi groups. and hateful.
While Election Day marked a record day for platform usage, that Musk took over the app.
Bluesky, on the other hand, saw an explosion of more than 2.5 million new registrations in the week following the election. According to a tracking tool touted by Bluesky employees (bcounter.nat.vg), the platform had more than 20.7 million users as of Wednesday, which equates to about 8 user registrations per second. Liu also said that the platform is seeing record activity across the board, including likes and follows.
