Bluesky: A decentralized social network that threatens X and Meta

This article will focus on Bluesky Social and explore how it has captured and captivated an expanding audience with its user-centric approach in an industry long dominated by the exploitation of user data and ad-centric models. We’ll cover everything you need to know about Bluesky, including insights into the platform’s structure, detailed guidance, privacy policies, revenue models, who has migrated to it, and how competitors have reacted.  

Bluesky Social, a decentralized social network, has rapidly expanded its user base, largely driven by an influx from North America and the UK. Bluesky’s user numbers have climbed to nearly 15 million worldwide, up from 9 million in September. This surge is attributed to various factors, including dissatisfaction with X (formerly Twitter). 

“The site was boosted as academics, journalists, and left-leaning politicians abandoned X, whose billionaire owner is a prominent supporter of the president-elect,” according to a report by The Financial Times. The platform also saw a significant boost from fans of Taylor Swift, who migrated en masse following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, further fueling Bluesky’s growth.

Origin and development

Conceived by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was launched as an independent initiative in 2021, distinct from the changes at X initiated by Elon Musk. Dorsey introduced the project in 2019 to create a decentralized standard for social media. 

Although he funded the initiative and oversaw its early development, Dorsey stepped back, and as of May 2024, he is no longer on the company’s board. Leadership has since passed to CEO Jay Graber, who previously worked on the cryptocurrency Zcash and founded the event-planning platform Happening.

Technological framework and user control

Bluesky operates on the AT Protocol, an open-source framework developed in-house, which supports a federated network design. This innovative protocol enables developers to create independent social apps that integrate seamlessly with Bluesky, allowing users to transfer their data, followers, and handles across platforms. This system offers algorithmic choice and facilitates community-specific moderation, enhancing user control over what they see and share.

The platform’s user-centric approach is a response to the market’s demand for greater personal data control, which has become increasingly important following the introduction of paid subscriptions and blue tick payments by X under Elon Musk’s leadership. Bluesky’s philosophy emphasizes giving users the freedom to choose and move freely across platforms without the constraints of centralized algorithms.

Privacy and Innovation

The platform has declared its commitment to not using user data to train generative AI tools, which sharply contrasts with new terms of service at X that permit such practices. Bluesky’s approach to privacy and innovation has resonated well in markets like Japan, where its user base on Android quintupled in the 12 months leading up to October 2024, driven more by its functionality and privacy features than political events.

How to Use Bluesky

Signing up and setting up your profile 

Upon signing up on Bluesky, users can create a handle, such as @username.bsky.social, and choose a display name that appears more prominently in bold text. Users can customize their handle using a domain they own, for instance, @username.website.com. Each profile includes familiar features such as a profile picture, background, biography, metrics, and follower counts. Profile feeds are split into two sections: posts and posts & replies, mirroring the structure used by X.

Creating and interacting with posts

Bluesky’s interface is intuitive, especially for former X users. Posts can be created by clicking a large, blue “New Post” button, marked with a pen-and-paper icon, and can include up to 300 characters of text along with photos and videos. Posts can be interacted with through replies, retweets, and likes. Users can manage interactions via a three-dot menu, offering options to report, share, or copy posts. The platform recently introduced an update where post replies are sorted by “hotness,” prioritizing liked and recent responses.

Navigating the Platform 

The main feed, or “Home” timeline, displays updates from followed users. Bluesky has replaced its original “What’s Hot” feed with a more personalized “Discover” feed, similar to the “For You” page on TikTok or X, showcasing trending content from across the network based on your interactions. Additionally, the “Discover” tab in the app’s navigation offers continuous suggestions on who to follow and highlights the latest posts from across Bluesky.

Finding relevant content

For users looking to dive into relevant content quickly, Bluesky offers a “Starter Pack” feature—curated lists of users and custom feeds based on interests, which can be followed to enhance content discovery right from the start. Users can also create and customize their lists and feeds based on topics or keywords, like “Portland Sports” or pizza-related content, accessible through a control panel on the left side of the interface.

Messaging and post-visibility

Bluesky introduced direct messaging in May. To send a DM, click the chat icon at the bottom on mobile or in the sidebar on desktop. Search for the user, type your message, and hit send. Note that DMs aren’t yet end-to-end encrypted, but encryption is planned for the future. 

As an open network, all Bluesky posts are public by default. Users seeking privacy must block individuals to restrict access to their posts. This setup allows for open dialogue while giving users control over their personal space.

Customization and Control 

In May 2023, Bluesky introduced “custom feeds,” allowing users to tailor their content discovery via various algorithms. These feeds can be pinned for quick access, reflecting Bluesky’s commitment to customizable user experiences. Further supporting developer involvement, the AT Protocol Grants initiated in March 2024 aim to encourage the creation of unique tools like SkyFeed, which enables personalized feed creation, enhancing the platform’s versatility and user engagement.

Bluesky’s Verification, Moderation, and Enhanced Security

Verification: Bluesky takes a decentralized approach to user verification, diverging from platforms like X and Meta, which rely on pay-for-verification models. Bluesky verifies accounts using custom domain names (e.g., @nytimes.com) to ensure authenticity and address impersonation issues. Looking ahead, Bluesky plans to allow multiple trusted entities like universities or community groups to verify users, emphasizing user choice and flexibility and moving away from centralized verification control.

Content Moderation: Bluesky has developed advanced automated tooling to identify and flag content that violates its Community Guidelines effectively. Recent updates have introduced features like warnings for users about misleading links and improved lists for user moderation, enhancing users’ ability to manage their interactions.

The platform has been proactive in addressing the surge in user numbers and specific challenges, such as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). To tackle this, Bluesky is significantly expanding its moderation team and has integrated third-party tools like the Safer reporting tool by Thorn. In 2023, there were two confirmed cases of CSAM on the network, but on a single day in November 2024, eight cases were confirmed. Additionally, on November 15, 2024, Bluesky reported receiving 3,000 reports per hour, a stark increase from the total of 360,000 reports received throughout the entire previous year.

Moreover, the introduction of the Ozone tool in March 2024 allows users to create and manage their independent moderation services. This tool grants users unprecedented control over their social media environment, further solidifying Bluesky’s commitment to maintaining a safe and user-driven platform.

Security Measures: In October 2023, Bluesky implemented email verification to improve account security significantly. However, challenges remain in preventing unauthorized third-party access to user data. Notably, Daniel van Strien, a machine learning librarian at AI firm Hugging Face, accessed 1 million public posts from Bluesky via its Firehose API for machine learning research. Although the dataset was later removed from the public repository following the controversy, this incident highlights the public nature of posts on Bluesky and emphasizes the existing challenges in data privacy.

Bluesky also offers opt-out features to limit posts from broader internet exposure and is now developing consent mechanisms to allow users to control how their data is used externally more effectively. These measures are part of Bluesky’s continued efforts to enhance user privacy and protect personal information from misuse.

Who’s Migrated to Bluesky?

Bluesky has attracted diverse users, including Hollywood celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Stiller, Lizzo, and Mark Hamill. Political figures such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and notable personalities like Mark Cuban, Dril, and Weird Al Yankovic have also made the switch. News organizations like Bloomberg, The Washington Post, and TechCrunch have established a presence on the platform. Additionally, since August 2024, Bluesky has been open to heads of state joining the platform.

The platform has also become a new home for various professional and civic entities, including legal professionals like Helen Burness, Jason Plant, and Alex Smith, and charities such as Sense, Trussell, and Children First. Numerous NYC officials and agencies have transitioned to Bluesky, further broadening its user base.

How Does Bluesky Make Money?

Bluesky aims to sustain its network without relying on traditional advertising. On July 5, 2023, the platform announced additional seed funding and a paid service offering custom domains for users seeking unique handles. 

In November 2024, Bluesky raised a $15 million Series A round to develop a subscription service offering premium features such as higher-quality video uploads and profile customizations. This subscription model is designed to avoid the “pay to win” strategies employed by platforms like X, ensuring that Bluesky remains free from the necessity of selling user data for ads.

While Threads boasts a significant user base of about 275 million monthly users, the sense that Bluesky’s smaller yet rapidly growing user base engages more intensively becomes apparent, particularly post-election.

Elon Musk’s introduction of a feature on X that allows users to hide engagement metrics such as likes and shares has been met with skepticism, with some suggesting it aims to mask a decline in platform activity. Meanwhile, Meta is once again taking cues from successful competitors; Instagram Stories was inspired by Snapchat, and Reels by TikTok. This time, Meta emulates Bluesky’s “Starter Packs,” which help users curate their feeds based on interests.

As Bluesky’s community grows, it faces the ongoing challenges of ensuring robust security, effective moderation, and strict compliance. Despite these hurdles, Bluesky’s dedication to prioritizing user interests and not selling user data, in contrast to the ad-driven models typical of major social media platforms, may well provide it with a strategic advantage in a market ripe for change.