Since the U.S. presidential election, Bluesky, the social media platform, has experienced remarkable growth, attracting users who are seeking alternatives to Elon Musk's X and Meta's Threads.
Initially launched as a decentralized approach to social networking, Bluesky has seen its user base soar to more than 25 million, more than doubling since October. The increase and subsequent challenges present both opportunities and growing pains for the platform.
Bluesky's creation is associated with Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter. After parting ways with Twitter, Bluesky operated under the goal of implementing decentralized networking principles to combat issues plaguing existing platforms. According to research firm Similarweb, the monthly active users surged by 7.6 million on iOS and Android app downloads. This translates to a jaw-dropping 295.4% increase since October. Web visits reached 56.2 million during the same period, marking a 189% increase, fueled by users seeking refuge from what they perceived as increasing political bias on X.
Bluesky’s growth coincided with the momentary ban of X in Brazil, drawing more users to the platform during this time. Laura Edelson, an assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University and member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media, noted the dramatic spike: “They got this spike in attention, they’ve crossed the threshold where it is now worth it for people to flood the platform with spam.”
While this rapid expansion presents significant opportunities, it also raises concerns. The user boom has led to the influx of bots—some aimed at creating partisan division and others redirecting users to junk websites. This is Bluesky's toughest test yet as it navigates the potential pitfalls of rapid growth.
Bluesky, which began as invitation-only, opened to the general public this past February. That early stage allowed the platform to develop moderation tools and established features like “starter packs,” which provide topically curated feeds to guide new users. Meta has recently announced it is testing similar features.
Claire Wardle, a professor at Cornell University and misinformation expert, noted another reason users flock to Bluesky: its perceived alternative value system. She explained, “The first generation of social media platforms connected the world, but ended up consolidifying power in the hands of a few corporations and their leaders.” Bluesky’s commitment to user control is evident. “On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself,” the platform states.
Wardle adds, “People had this idea it was going to be different.” Yet, with large audiences come challenges: bots and misinformation. Reports of AI bots creating divisive content are on the rise. Lion Cassens, a doctoral candidate and Bluesky user, stumbled upon several AI-driven accounts: “I found one such network by accident—a group of German-language accounts with similar bios and AI-generated profile pictures.”
Cassens expressed trust in Bluesky's moderation system compared to X post-layoffs and Musk's radical stance on free speech. He warned, “AI bots are a big challenge, as they will only improve.”
Bluesky faces additional challenges such as copycat accounts. Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, indicated 44% of the top 100 most followed individuals on Bluesky had duplicate accounts posing as them. His investigations have shown Bluesky’s awareness of such issues, as two-thirds of the duplicate accounts he initially found were removed shortly after detection.
Addressing these challenges has led Bluesky to quadruple its moderation team. The platform is developing new systems aimed at impersonation detection and revising its Community Guidelines to clarify what is acceptable. Users can also subscribe to third-party “Labelers,” which provide content moderation through warnings and contextual tagging of accounts.
Despite the growing challenges, Bluesky remains at a crossroads, according to Edward Perez, board member at the OSET Institute and former Twitter civic integrity team lead. He states, “Whether Bluesky likes it or not, it is being pulled to the real world.” Bluesky must prioritize threats quickly to sustain growth if it hopes to carve out its niche alongside competitors.
Beyond bots and misinformation, Bluesky also faces the overarching challenge of relevance among the younger demographics. Research released by the Pew Research Center shows only 17% of American teenagers used X recently, down from 23% in 2022. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram dominate these age groups.
Wardle emphasized Bluesky's focused approach: “Bluesky is not trying to be all things to all people.” The character of current social platforms is increasingly divided politically. Many, like Meta’s offerings, aim to minimize political content and news.
The rise of Bluesky highlights the shifting dynamics within social media as the platform grapples with balancing rapid growth with the maintenance of values it was established upon. Only time will tell if it can navigate these challenges effectively and maintain its position as a viable alternative to larger platforms.
