Tue Nov 19 09:49:02 UTC 2024: ## Bluesky Soars as X Users Flee Amid Musk’s Controversies and Political Entanglements
**Pasadena, CA** – Bluesky, a decentralized social media platform, is experiencing explosive growth, adding millions of users in recent weeks, largely due to dissatisfaction with Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). The platform, originally a Twitter research project, has seen its user base skyrocket from nine million in September to an estimated 18 million by mid-November, with thousands of new accounts added every few minutes.
Musk’s controversial changes to X, including staff cuts, paid verification, and relaxed content moderation, have alienated many users. His involvement in the 2024 presidential campaign, culminating in his appointment to President-elect Trump’s administration, further fueled the exodus. Since the election, Bluesky has seen a significant increase in users from the U.S., U.K., and Canada, with one day alone seeing 116,000 X users deactivate their accounts.
This isn’t the first time Bluesky benefited from X’s troubles. A temporary ban on X in Brazil last August also drove millions of users to Bluesky.
In contrast to X, Bluesky offers a decentralized model, allowing users to create their own servers and establish their own community rules. It explicitly states it will not use user posts to train AI models, a policy X recently adopted. This, combined with its retention of features like robust blocking capabilities, has attracted users seeking an alternative to X’s increasingly centralized and controversial direction.
The surge in Bluesky’s popularity highlights a broader trend of users seeking alternatives to established social media platforms. Other platforms, such as Meta’s Threads, are also witnessing growth, suggesting a desire for more control and transparency in online spaces. Experts suggest this trend reflects a growing dissatisfaction with the limitations and biases perceived in long-established platforms. While the political climate has fueled Bluesky’s recent growth, the platform’s decentralized structure and commitment to user control are positioned to attract long-term users seeking a different social media experience.
First Piper 