Bluesky reported a staggering influx of over 1 million new sign-ups within a mere 48-hour period.
Decentralized social platform Bluesky has seen its user base surpass the 12 million mark, making it one of the fastest growing rivals to Elon Musk’s Twitter.
This week, Bluesky reported an influx of over 1 million new sign-ups within a mere 48-hour period, solidifying its position as a formidable player in the social media arena.
The catalyst for this unprecedented digital boom can be traced back to Musk’s Twitter maneuvers.
Twitter’s Changes Push Users Toward Bluesky
After making a series of contentious decisions, the tech tycoon unintentionally stoked tensions on Twitter, leading users to turn to other social media sites.
One of the most significant changes coming to Twitter is a revised privacy policy that will let outside AI developers use user data to train their models. This change has raised concerns about data privacy and transparency.
Furthermore, Twitter has come under fire for changing its block feature, which essentially gives users less control over what content is visible, because it may put people at risk of being harassed online.
Twitter decided to ruin how blocking works to "prevent harassment, dogpiling and echo chambers"
— HAPPIX! (@NekoHappix) October 17, 2024
but in bluesky they have a normal block feature and have actual features like DISABLING QUOTE TWEETING to actually prevent harassment without making a basic feature fucking null pic.twitter.com/UcvomzHdzr
In addition, the platform’s decision to transfer its legal jurisdiction from California to the Northern District of Texas—a region thought to be more in line with Musk’s political views—has sparked rumors and raised concerns among users and observers.
Bluesky has been using Twitter’s turbulent situation to its advantage, capitalizing on the opportunity it presented and reaffirming its commitment to user-centric policies and online safety.
Twitter users were reassured that they could personalize their online experiences and maintain control over their interactions by Bluesky’s official account, which responded to the platform’s policy updates. This was in sharp contrast to Twitter’s changing environment.
The platform’s rapid expansion was so great that the unexpected spike in traffic caused its servers to collapse, propelling Bluesky to the top of international app charts and social media conversations.
Twitter Grapples With Financial Setbacks
In the meantime, Twitter has been experiencing financial difficulties. After Musk acquired the company in 2022, the value of Twitter fell to a small portion of its previous value, and this was made worse by advertisers pulling out due to worries about platform stability and brand safety.
It is important to remember that Bluesky has previously seen user growth during unsettling times on Twitter.
In the past, the network saw a spike in user growth during Twitter bans and controversy, especially in Brazil, where Bluesky added millions of new users in a matter of days.
Those looking for alternatives to traditional social media behemoths find great resonance in Bluesky’s decentralized structure and emphasis on user empowerment, especially in light of the growing awareness of data exploitation and AI model training practices.
In May, Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, stepped down from Bluesky’s board.
Last year, Dorsey publicly chastised Musk for his handling of X and voiced his disapproval of the board’s choice to sell him the platform.
The goal of Bluesky, which was first revealed by Dorsey in late 2019, was to create an open and decentralized social media standard.
But Bluesky did not start beta testing until March 2023, and on February 7, 2024, it was eventually made available to the general public.