X Users Flock to Bluesky Amid Controversial Changes
Elon Musk’s latest changes to X have sparked a mass exodus of users to rival platform Bluesky. The influx was so significant that Bluesky briefly crashed due to the volume of new sign-ups. In just 12 hours, Bluesky saw over 100,000 sign-ups, followed by half a million within a day.
Key Developments
- Bluesky has risen to the No. 5 spot on the US App Store’s free app section.
- X announced changes to its ‘Block’ feature, allowing blocked users to view public posts.
- X updated its privacy policy, permitting third-party AI training on user content (with opt-out).
- Bluesky gained over 500,000 new users in 24 hours following these announcements.
- Bluesky experienced server outages due to the sudden surge in new users.
The catalyst for this exodus is X’s controversial change to the “Block” function. Initially announced in September, it’s now being rolled out. Under the new system, blocked users will still be able to view public posts, though they can’t engage with them.
This shift has raised concerns about online safety. Previously, blocking someone meant they couldn’t see any content from the blocker. The new policy still allows stalkers and trolls to observe posts, increasing the potential for harmful behavior.
Bluesky, founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, highlighted its robust blocking features as a response. On its platform, blocked users cannot see any posts, a function that has drawn many disillusioned X users. This led to an overwhelming spike in traffic, causing temporary outages on Bluesky’s servers. Despite the hiccups, normal service resumed, and Bluesky continues to benefit from the mass migration.
Another factor driving users away from X is the updated privacy policy, which now allows third-party access to content for AI training unless users opt out. This policy extension, building on Musk’s Grok AI project, has particularly upset artists, who fear their content could be used without consent. While users can opt out, this raises further concerns about X’s direction.
The backlash to these moves has been swift, with many questioning Musk’s reasoning behind diluting the block function. X claims it aims for more transparency, suggesting that allowing blocked users to see posts helps prevent the spread of harmful information.
However, critics argue that this change could make life easier for stalkers and harassers, undermining user safety.
Bluesky, capitalizing on this backlash, not only offers full blocking but also additional tools like shared block lists. The platform’s growth reflects widespread dissatisfaction with Musk’s changes.
With half a million new recruits, Bluesky is now trending on X itself, and some are speculating that the block changes could lead to X being removed from Google and Apple’s app stores.