Since Elon Musk took over X, the platform has faced criticism for increased outages, hate speech, and misinformation, prompting many users to seek alternatives.
One of the biggest beneficiaries is BlueSky, a decentralised social media platform that now boasts over 20 million users.
So, who is using BlueSky, and why does it keep growing?
On Thursday morning’s episode of The Briefing, we sat down with Crikey’s associate editor and internet culture and tech reporter Cam Wilson to get his verdict on whether BlueSky is living up to the hype.
BlueSky has attracted a diverse group of users, including journalists, left-leaning politicians, celebrities, and prominent media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. Among those making the switch is Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who joined BlueSky on Saturday.
“In terms of what it’s actually like to use, it is very similar to Twitter. It’s a platform that you can log into on your phone or your computer. It’s primarily text-based,” Mr Wilson said.
He added that BlueSky offers a more civil, controlled environment compared to X, which has become notorious for conspiracy theories and extremism during the US presidential election.
“We’re now seeing a bit of a transition. It’s almost like we’re ending up with social media platforms that are actually set up based on the kind of political identity that you have,” Mr Wilson said.
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