Bluesky Gains 1 Million Users After US Elections as X Faces Backlash

LOS ANGELES: Bluesky, a social media platform, gained 1 million new users in the week following the US elections. This surge comes as some users of X (formerly Twitter) are looking for an alternative platform to share their thoughts. Bluesky’s total user count is now 15 million, up from 13 million at the end of October.

Bluesky, created by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, was initially invitation-only before opening to the public in February. It offers features similar to X, including a “discover” feed, a chronological feed, and options for direct messages and pinned posts.

This isn’t the first time Bluesky has grown due to dissatisfaction with X. It gained 2.6 million users after X was banned in Brazil, and 500,000 users signed up in a single day after X announced changes to its policies.

While Bluesky grows, X reported record engagement during the election, with millions of posts and new users. However, some people are leaving X. Recently, The Guardian said it would stop posting on X due to concerns over hateful content. TV journalist Don Lemon also announced he was leaving X, choosing Bluesky instead.

Bluesky’s growth highlights the increasing desire for a platform with fewer ads and less harmful content.