Blueskyistakingofflikearocket,andElonMuskmight\'vejustlitthefuse.Thedecentralizedsocialplatformhitthe12millionusermarkthisweek,reportingamassivesurgeofgrowthsinceitslatestmilestoneof10millionuserssurpassedjustlastmonth.
TheplatformreportedFridaythatitreceivedover1millionnewsignupsina48-hourperiod.
Whatsparkedthisdigitalgoldrush?LooknofurtherthanMusk\'sTwitter(akaX).Thebillionaire\'sbeenonquitearolllately,butnotthegoodkind.Thisweekusersfoundoutaboutthreemajorchangesintheplatform’spolicies,someofwhichhaverubbedlongtimetweetersthewrongway.
Thefirstoneisaprivacypolicyupdate.Twitterisamendingitsprivacypolicytoallowthird-partyAIdeveloperstotraintheirmodelsonuserdata.Thischange,settotakeeffectonNovember15,hasraisedconcernsaboutdataprivacyandusage—andthereisnoclearwaytoopt-out.
Nextissomethingthatmaybeworrisometoamoremainstreamuserdatabase:Twitterisessentiallyremovingtheblockfunction\'sabilitytopreventusersfromviewingcontent.Thischangesignificantlyweakensusercontrolovertheironlineexperience,andhasbeencriticizedforpotentiallyexposinguserstoharassment.
Soonwe’llbelaunchingachangetohowtheblockfunctionworks.
Ifyourpostsaresettopublic,accountsyouhaveblockedwillbeabletoviewthem,buttheywillnotbeabletoengage(like,reply,repost,etc.).
—Engineering(@XEng)October16,2024
Finally,TwitterismovingitslegaljurisdictionfromCaliforniatotheNorthernDistrictofTexas,anareaknownforitsconservativejudgeswhichtendtobemorealignedwithElon’sfar-rightviews.Thismovehasraisedeyebrowsamongusersandcriticsalike.
Wow:Twitter\'snewToSsaysalldisputeswillbeheardinU.S.DistrictCourtfortheNorthernDistrictofTexaslocatedinTarrantCounty(TeslainvestorReedO\'Connor\'scourt)
Trulyremarkable,consideringTwitter\'snewHQisNOTinthisdistrict,butinwesternTexas.pic.twitter.com/IoJgrVgytq
—BobbyAllyn(@BobbyAllyn)October17,2024
BlueskyisnotbeingshyaboutcapitalizingonTwitter\'smess.Theplatformisplasteringits\"user-first\"approachallover...well,Twitter.
“AtBluesky,wetakeonlinesafetyseriously,”Bluesky’sofficialXaccounttweeted,“Ifyouwanttoblocksomeone,youcan!It\'syourexperiencetocustomize.”
UserswerequicktopointouthowthispolicyupdatewouldplayagainstTwitter’simage,andtheywerecorrect.TheofficialBlueskyaccountispracticallydoingavictorylap,boastingaboutitsrecordgrowthjustadayafterMusk\'slatestpolicychanges.
notnowhoneythelineisstillgoinguphttps://t.co/x6v5YW0WFTpic.twitter.com/b4uPlDssiV
—bluesky(@bluesky)October18,2024
SosignificantwastheinfluxthatBluesky’sserverscollapsedduetotheunexpectedtrafficspike.Infact,theapphasbeentoppingthechartsinmanycountrieslikeJapan,andreachedthetop5onApple’siOSAppStoreintheUnitedStates.
Musk’smeddlingmaybebenefitingBluesky,butTwitterisfinanciallybleedingout.Fidelity\'slatestestimateputsTwitter’svalueatameasly$9.4billion—that\'san80%nosedivesinceMuskboughtitforover$44billionin2022.Thisdeclineisfurthercompoundedbyadvertiserswithdrawingduetoconcernsoverbrandsafetyandplatformstability.
Thisisn\'tthefirsttimeBlueskyhasbenefitedfromTwitter\'scontroversies.TheplatformsawasignificantuptickinuserswhenTwitterwastemporarilybannedinBrazilduetocontentmoderationissuesandarefusaltopayfines.Atthattime,Blueskygainedapproximately3millionnewusersinjustoneweek,andreachedatotalof10millionusersmostlythankstoBraziliansjoiningin.
“Welcometotheonemillionnewusersinthelastthreedays,”theplatformsaidbackthen.“ThisisnowaBrazilianapp,”itrepliedinPortuguese.
Bluesky\'srapidascentisreflectedinitsimpressiveengagementmetrics:473millionposts,448.5millionfollows,and1.8billionlikes,withFridaybeingthemostactivedayyetintermsofengagementaccordingtodatasharedbyoneofitsofficialdevelopers.
Associalmediausersbecomeincreasinglyconcernedaboutdataprivacyandplatformcontrol,thelandscapeappearstobeshifting.
Bluesky\'sdecentralizedmodelandemphasisonuserautonomyareclearlyresonatingwiththoseseekingalternativestotraditionalsocialmediagiants,especiallynowthatusersaremoreawareofhowcompaniesusetheirprivatedataandinteractionstoprofitandtrainAImodels.
Bluesky,ofcourse,spawnedfromTwitter—albeitunderpreviouslyleadership.In2019,underco-founderandformerCEOJackDorsey,TwitterseededtheteamthateventuallyspunoutandlaunchedBluesky,taskingthemwithdevelopingadecentralizedprotocolthatcouldonedayevenpowerTwitteralongwithothersocialapps.
ButnowwithMuskincharge,BlueskyhasinsteadbecomethemostprominentTwitterrivalnotoperatedbyamassivetechgiant.Andit\'sonlygrowing.
EditedbyAndrewHayward
decrypt.co