Bluesky's growing pains

As Bluesky attracts more activity, particularly from those fleeing Elon Musk’s X, it is facing the price of success.

Government censorship, scam accounts, celebrity impersonation, propaganda and a user revolt over a journalist accused of demonizing trans people — these are just some of the hurdles faced by the nascent social media platform Bluesky. But they’re also signs of its rapid growth since the election.

As Bluesky attracts more activity, particularly from those fleeing Elon Musk’s X, it is facing the price of success: tough moderation decisions and a growing number of bad actors.

Nearly 25 million people have signed up for the platform, according to metrics site ClearSky. While that number is still a fraction of X’s user base, Bluesky’s controversies and challenges are gaining mainstream attention — a sign of its increasing cultural relevance.

Last week, the platform faced its most significant controversy yet: user backlash against journalist and media personality Jesse Singal joining the platform. Singal, who has reported on people who reversed their gender transitions among other topics pertaining to trans people, hosts a podcast that critiques perceived left-wing biases in media. LGBTQ nonprofit GLAAD included Singal in its Accountability Project documenting “anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and discriminatory actions” by public figures.

Singal’s presence on Bluesky, considered a hub for trans social media users, sparked a petition signed by over 25,000 people calling for his removal under the platform’s moderation policies. Singal is now the most blocked person on Bluesky. Bluesky didn’t address Singal explicitly in its response to the petition, but posted that it does not take down accounts based on activity off the platform. Bluesky didn’t respond to an NBC News question about the controversy around Singal, who has reported receiving death threats he says the platform has not adequately addressed.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/bluesky-growing-pains-rcna181029

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