As Users Flee X, Bluesky Makes Gains

Social media site Bluesky has gained at least a million new users in the week since the US election, as some X users look for an alternative platform to post their thoughts and engage with others online. Bluesky said Wednesday that its total users surged to 15 million, up from roughly 13 million at the end of October.

• The portal: Championed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February, giving it time to build out moderation tools and other features. The platform resembles Elon Musk's X, with a "Discover" feed as well as a chronological feed for accounts that users follow. Users can send direct messages and pin posts, as well as find "starter packs" that provide a curated list of people and custom feeds to follow, per the AP.
• History: The postelection uptick in users isn't the first time Bluesky has benefitted from people leaving X. Bluesky gained 2.6 million users in the week after X was banned in Brazil in August—85% of them from Brazil. About 500,000 new users signed up in the span of one day last month, when X signaled that blocked accounts would be able to see a user's public posts.

• X's take: Despite Bluesky's growth, X posted last week that it had "dominated the global conversation on the US election" and had set new records. The platform saw a 15.5% jump in new-user signups on Election Day, X said, with a record 942 million posts worldwide.
• Response: Across the platform, new users have posted memes and shared that they were looking forward to using a space free from ads and hate speech. Some said it reminded them of Twitter's early days.
• Defections: On Wednesday, the Guardian said it would no longer post on X, citing "far-right conspiracy theories and racism." TV journalist Don Lemon also posted on X that he's leaving the platform but will continue to use other social media, including Bluesky. Lemon noted changes to the site's terms of service going into effect Friday, which state suits against X must be filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas. "This 'ensures that such lawsuits will be heard in courthouses that are a hub for conservatives, which experts say could make it easier for X to shield itself from litigation and punish critics,'" Lemon wrote, citing the Washington Post. "I think that speaks for itself."

(More X.com stories.)