LONDON (The Thursday Times) — Millions of users, disillusioned with Elon Musk's social media platform X, are turning to Bluesky. Bluesky, a decentralised network, has become a refuge for those unhappy with Musk's recent actions. Bluesky, developed by Jack Dorsey, the former founder of Twitter, has seen a huge increase in new users, who prioritise transparency and user control of data. Taking a step towards a new digital future, The Thursday Times has also joined Bluesky and Mastodon, and has invited its readers to stay connected to its content on these new platforms.
Follow The Thursday Times on Bluesky.
There are several reasons for Bluesky's growing popularity, among them recent political trends and Musk's relationship with President-elect Donald Trump. For many users, Musk's support for Trump has raised questions about the neutrality of X, which was once regarded as a global platform for a range of political views. This new political stance has not only alienated many users but has also added to criticism of X's changing identity.
After buying Twitter in 2022, Musk made a number of major changes which, according to critics, are damaging the platform's reputation. Musk's "free speech" policy was well intentioned, but the laying off of roughly 80% of X's employees weakened the platform's ability to monitor its content. As a result, there has been a marked increase in misinformation, hateful content and bots, which is driving users towards platforms that value community standards.
For The Thursday Times, moving to Bluesky and Mastodon is an important step, reflecting a connection with platforms that give users autonomy and responsible data management. Decentralised networks give users protection of, and freedom over, their information, which has become extremely important in today's digital age. This shift has had particular impact in an environment where data privacy and content monitoring are primary concerns.
Google has also begun to prioritise its results in favour of Bluesky over X. Industry experts say that Google's algorithms prioritise Bluesky content, which points to a decline in trust in X. Even AI models, such as ChatGPT, are giving precedence to information from Bluesky, which shows Bluesky's future popularity relative to X.
Alongside Bluesky, another decentralised platform, Mastodon, is also gaining popularity among users. The Thursday Times has also established a presence on Mastodon, an excellent platform for connecting with tech-savvy audiences looking for an alternative to corporatised social media.
However, this digital division has its own challenges. As users move to Bluesky, Mastodon and other platforms, some fear that social media may become more ideologically divided, which could limit wider dialogue. With left-wing users leaving X, the audience remaining on X appears ideologically more homogeneous, and instead of promoting a range of political views it could become a platform of echoing voices.
Bluesky's long-term success is not guaranteed, because to expand on a large scale it needs financial resources and a steady increase in the number of users. Moving away from traditional sources of advertising, Bluesky has adopted financial models such as subscriptions and custom domains, with the aim of remaining focused on its users.
The Thursday Times' presence on Bluesky reflects how media organisations are turning to platforms that value trust and credibility. Bluesky's decentralised nature gives users control over their digital presence, and it is a strong alternative to the commercial use of users' private information.
For now, the competition between Bluesky and X is part of a larger cultural conversation about what the social role of technology should be. The rise of Bluesky represents a way of thinking that promotes transparency, moderated content and user autonomy, principles that Musk's X is now pushing aside. The Thursday Times invites its readers to join Bluesky, so that we can build an environment where conversation is fostered on the basis of truth and trust.
