The app for Bluesky is shown on a mobile phone, left, and on a laptop screen on June 2, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
Bluesky, a social media platform, has gained one million new users in just one week following the U.S. election as some users from X (formerly Twitter) search for a new place to share their thoughts and engage online. On Wednesday, Bluesky announced that its user base has reached 15 million, up from around 13 million at the end of October.
Founded by Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter, Bluesky was initially available only through invitations until it opened to the public in February. During its invite-only phase, the platform was able to develop moderation tools and other features. Bluesky’s design is similar to Elon Musk's X, offering a "discover" feed and a chronological feed for posts from accounts users follow. It also allows direct messaging, pinning posts, and provides “starter packs” to help new users find people and curated feeds to follow.
The recent surge in Bluesky users is not the first time the platform has benefited from users leaving X. Following X’s ban in Brazil in August, Bluesky saw 2.6 million new sign-ups, with 85% of them coming from Brazil. In September, the platform attracted half a million new users in just one day when X announced that blocked accounts would be able to see public posts again.
Despite Bluesky's growth, X continues to highlight its own achievements. The platform claimed last week that it had “dominated the global conversation” around the U.S. election and set new records, with 942 million posts shared on Election Day and a 15.5% increase in new user sign-ups.
Bluesky has playfully acknowledged its rivalry with X, even posting an Election Day message on X poking fun at Musk’s association with President-elect Donald Trump. "I can guarantee that no Bluesky team members will be sitting with a presidential candidate tonight and giving them direct access to control what you see online," Bluesky tweeted.
As Bluesky continues to grow, many of its new users, including journalists, politicians, and celebrities, have expressed enthusiasm about joining a platform free from ads and hate speech. Some have noted that it reminds them of Twitter’s early days.
Recently, The Guardian announced it would stop posting on X, citing concerns about the rise of far-right conspiracy theories and racism on the platform. Meanwhile, TV journalist Don Lemon also shared that he would leave X, though he plans to use other platforms like Bluesky. Lemon criticized X for no longer being a space for “honest debate,” pointing to changes in the platform’s terms of service that would force lawsuits against X to be filed in Texas, a move that many believe could shield the platform from criticism.
Last year, companies like IBM and NBCUniversal stopped advertising on X due to concerns over their ads appearing alongside harmful content. This followed Musk’s own controversial posts, which included endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.
