Social media platform Bluesky welcomed one million users recently amid reports that social platform X has seen thousands of users leave the platform following the presidential election.
Similarweb found that more than 115,000 U.S. users on X deactivated their accounts on Nov. 6, CNN reported. However, CNN said that X also had its highest web traffic all year on the same day.
X, bought by Elon Musk in 2022, has been criticized by some users who say hate speech has spread on the platform. However, reports from Forbes, Slate, and NBC News found that users have left the platform for a variety of reasons in the past year, from concerns that X has a conservative bias to technical issues experienced on the platform.
While Bluesky’s roots are intertwined with Twitter before Musk’s ownership, its intention differs.
Bluesky describes itself as being designed not to be “controlled by a single company” with a mission to develop and adopt technologies for “open and decentralized public conversation.” Bluesky said that its users get more control over what they see, and because of the open, decentralized network Bluesky is built on, it lets users move across other apps freely instead of leaving their account behind if they decide to go to a new platform.
Users on Bluesky can make posts and engage with other posts, and the layout is similar to X’s appearance.
Who made Bluesky?
Bluesky originated as an independent, small team funded by Twitter, announced by then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on the social media platform in 2019. Bluesky announced in 2022 that it was an independent company formed the previous year. It is primarily owned by Jay Graber, who comes from the cryptocurrency and blockchain spaces where decentralized systems and user control are central themes, the Arizona Republic reported.
How can I join Bluesky?
People interested in joining Bluesky can visit bsky.app and sign up to create an account. People can also download the Bluesky app on their phones.
How many users does Bluesky have?
Bluesky had 15 million users as of Wednesday, Bluesky posted on its platform.
How many users does X have?
As of October, X had more than 415 million global users, according to Statista.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
