Bluesky sees huge surge in new users following Trump victory

12 Nov 2024

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The company has stated that over 700,000 individuals have signed up for the social media platform Bluesky since the US elections last week.

The unexpected increase in new users, primarily from the United States, seems to have been triggered by Elon Musk’s support for president-elect Donald Trump.

Mr. Musk, the owner of X (previously known as Twitter), has faced allegations of modifying the platform's algorithm to promote content that supports Trump.

A recent examination of the social media platform, which the tech billionaire purchased in 2022, revealed a significant spike in views and interactions for his posts right after he started supporting Mr. Trump in July.

Bluesky, founded by Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter, has emerged as a substitute for X following Elon Musk's acquisition. The platform experienced a significant surge in new users after X was prohibited in Brazil last September.

Bluesky's membership has increased from 9 million to 14.5 million during that time, driven by the US election, which attracted a new surge of users.

"We're thrilled to have all these fresh faces joining us, from devoted Swift fans and wrestlers to urban planners," stated Emily Liu, a spokesperson for Bluesky.

A recent study released last month reveals that some scholars are switching from X to other platforms.

Scholars at the European University Institute in Italy discovered that the amount of active accounts linked to individuals in academia significantly decreased after Mr. Musk took over.

Since he took over, X has revamped its verification system, restored accounts that were previously banned, and permitted blocked users to access public posts.

The researchers commented in their study that all these changes have had an impact on the overall features of social networks in ways we still don't fully grasp in numerical terms. However, they've led to a transformation in how users interact with the platform, a shift we often describe informally as the 'vibes.'

We believe that a mix of the perceived risks and the actual situation of Musk owning Twitter led many academics to either leave the platform entirely or engage less with it.

Meanwhile, Bluesky's rise in popularity can be attributed to enhanced capabilities and the addition of new features such as direct messaging and video support.