What is Bluesky and why are people leaving X to sign up?

In the week following Donald Trump's election victory, approximately one million users flocked to the social media site Bluesky. But what exactly is the platform?

We take a look at how Bluesky differentiates itself from X and the reasons behind its growing popularity.

What is Bluesky?

Bluesky operates as a social media platform where individuals can engage in activities similar to those on X, such as posting, replying, and direct messaging within a vertical user interface. Given that Bluesky emerged from Twitter, now referred to as X, it's not entirely unexpected.

This development occurred after Jack Dorsey, then CEO, announced in 2019 that the company would support developers in creating an "open and decentralised standard for social media". Bluesky officially debuted as an independent entity in 2021 and has quickly become a sought-after alternative for those disenchanted with X.

How is it different to X?

Compared to X, Bluesky offers users the chance to more heavily moderate their experience. This includes the ability to select the algorithm that powers your experience, helping create custom feeds, for example a feed for mutual followers, a feed for cat photos or one for your special interest.

“We aim to replace the conventional ‘master algorithm’, controlled by a single company, with an open and diverse ‘marketplace of algorithms’,” the platform says. X’s verification feature has also drawn criticism after it became possible to purchase a blue tick, which had been the previous signifier of an account’s legitimacy.

Bluesky allows users to have domains (website addresses) as their handles, which it anticipates could act as a verification tool for journalists, athletes and public figures who have a company’s website in their handle. Meanwhile, as X appears to deregulate the user experience, recently changing the block function to allow users to see the posts of public accounts who have blocked them for example, Bluesky proudly shows off its “anti-toxicity” features.

These include empowering users to detach an original post of theirs from someone else’s quote post, preventing unwanted interactions.

Why are people signing up to Bluesky?

If Elon Musk’s takeover of X made people uneasy, his use of his platform – on which he has 205 million followers – to support Donald Trump during the 2024 US election campaign only exacerbated that feeling for many.

Both X and Mr Musk have come under increased scrutiny since the businessman took over the site in late 2022, with the billionaire himself engaging with misleading content and accounts known for spreading misinformation on a number of occasions. In the wake of the Southport stabbings, where three young girls were stabbed to death, he posted a number of images and memes linked to the anti-immigration protests and disorder in Britain.

X users have also reported an increase in “bots” making the site difficult to use, with comment sections often dominated by AI nonsense. Several MPs have already made the move to Bluesky including safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, Liberal Democrat technology spokeswoman Layla Moran and Mother of the House Diane Abbott.

How many users have signed up to Bluesky?

On November 13, Bluesky announced it had more than 15 million users. The platform also said it saw one million users sign up in the week following Trump’s election victory.

Who has made the move to Bluesky?

US actress Jamie Lee Curtis has been vocal about her decision to leave X after she shared a screenshot confirming she had deactivated her account in a post on Instagram.

She can be found on Bluesky with more than 29,000 followers and has posted about her departure from X in a post which said: “#WeDontNeedX.”

TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham, Irish comedian Dara O’Briain and Countdown star Susie Dent are also among its users.

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