The social networking service Bluesky has announced a surge of 700,000 fresh users in the week subsequent to the US election.
Initially envisioned as a component of Twitter by its former CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky reports that the majority of the new registrations are from the US and the UK.
The platform’s user base has expanded from 9 million individuals in September to 14.5 million within that week and continues to be at 12 million as of November 12.
“We are thrilled to welcome all the new users, ranging from fans of Swift to athletes and city planners,” stated Bluesky representative Emily Liu.
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The departure of users from X is thought to have been driven by owner Elon Musk‘s endorsement of president-elect Donald Trump, who secured a significant victory on November 5.
Users on the platform, which Musk acquired for $44 billion (£34 billion) in 2022, have reported an uptick in misinformation, objectionable content, and difficulties in user blocking.
Posting on Bluesky this week, New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed that she is “back” on the site, expressing: “Good GOD it’s refreshing to engage in a digital environment alongside other genuine individuals.”
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This is not the first instance of users migrating from Musk’s service to Bluesky.
In August, during unrest in cities across the UK, Bluesky reported a 60% increase in activity from UK users.
On X, Musk criticized Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, dubbing him #twotierkier for his reaction to the riots and suggesting that civil conflict was unavoidable in the UK.
Several public figures, including Home Office minister Jess Philips and Labour MP Lewis Atkinson, mentioned they were transitioning to other platforms.
Mr Lewis remarked at that time: “Hello everyone here… another possible alternative to that other platform…”
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X also faced a decline in users of approximately one-fifth after its rebranding from Twitter.
Additionally, after X was banned in Brazil this year, Bluesky noted an influx of three million additional users.
This week, British comedian Greg Davies announced: “Hello everyone, I will be departing X in the upcoming days. I appreciate all the warm messages throughout the years. For updates on my activities, you can sign up for my mailing list or follow me on Instagram. Cheers, Greg.”
What is Bluesky?
Bluesky was originally designed as a part of Twitter in 2019, but it became a standalone platform once it officially launched in 2021.
It is overseen by Jay Graber and adopts a decentralized model for social media, allowing various platforms and communities to interoperate rather than being confined under one corporate umbrella like Twitter or Facebook.
Nonetheless, the platform bears a strong resemblance to X or Twitter, with the recent addition of direct messaging that enhances its similarity to rival networks.
It currently ranks just behind Threads, Meta’s counterpart, on the US Apple App store, which has 275 million active users monthly.
