Mon Nov 18 15:54:12 UTC 2024: ## Bluesky Sees Million-User Surge Amidst X Exodus

**New York, NY** – The fledgling social media platform Bluesky experienced a massive surge in new users, gaining one million sign-ups in a single day, according to a Thursday announcement. This significant growth comes amid growing dissatisfaction with X (formerly Twitter) under the ownership of Elon Musk, who is set to join President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.

Bluesky, which started as a Twitter internal project and launched publicly in February, now boasts approximately 18 million users. CEO Jay Graber reported the platform is adding 10,000 users every 10-15 minutes. The platform’s recent growth spurt follows a period of significant user departures from X.

Similarweb data indicates X saw peak worldwide deactivations the day after the election, with 115,000 users reportedly deleting their accounts. Further account deletions followed Musk’s reinstatement of Alex Jones in December 2023. A temporary ban on X in Brazil in late August also fueled a mass migration to alternative platforms, including Bluesky, which gained half a million new users in the days surrounding the ban.

While X CEO Linda Yaccarino claims the platform is experiencing record-high usage, several major US brands, including Target, UnitedHealth Group, and NPR, have stopped posting or closed their accounts entirely, citing concerns about the platform’s direction under Musk. These departures, coupled with Musk’s new terms of service allowing X to use user data for AI training, are likely contributing to the exodus.

Experts like NYU professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat have expressed concern about Musk’s involvement in the incoming Trump administration and its potential impact on X’s content moderation.

Although Bluesky remains significantly smaller than X (estimated at 611 million monthly active users in April, according to Exploding Topics), its rapid growth signals a potential shift in social media landscape. Users appear to be seeking alternatives offering a different atmosphere and less influence from Musk’s leadership. Bluesky’s similarity to the pre-Musk Twitter, along with its ad-free model, likely contributes to its appeal, mirroring the success of Meta’s Threads, which boasts 275 million monthly users. Whether Bluesky can maintain this momentum remains to be seen, but its recent success highlights the growing desire for alternatives to X.

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