Bluesky, a rising social media platform, has seen a massive influx of users as many Democrats and moderate public figures abandon X (formerly Twitter) in the wake of the presidential election.
Disillusioned by X’s increasingly toxic environment under Elon Musk’s leadership and his alignment with President-elect Donald Trump, these users are flocking to Bluesky, which offers a more user-controlled, less politically charged alternative. The post-election shift has propelled Bluesky’s growth, with nearly 1 million new sign-ups per day as more people seek refuge from the divisive atmosphere on X.
Over the past week, Bluesky has gained nearly 1 million new users daily, with the platform’s user base growing by over 500% following the election. As of Friday, Bluesky boasted 21.5 million users, a sharp uptick but still a fraction of X’s 588 million accounts. Despite this, the recent surge in Bluesky’s user count reflects a shift in social media behavior, with users migrating away from platforms that they perceive as becoming more ideologically homogenous.
Among those abandoning X are high-profile Democrats such as former CNN anchor Don Lemon and horror author Stephen King. Lemon, citing a lack of “honest debate,” and King, who directed his followers to Meta’s Instagram Threads, were among many who voiced frustration with the platform’s increasingly toxic atmosphere.
“Twitter has always had its problems, but over the last year or so, it has become a more toxic place, it certainly minimizes progressive voices,” Democratic strategist Roddell Mollineau told reporters. “It has become a right-wing ethosphere, and I see that trend continuing.”
The changes on X, particularly following Musk’s acquisition of the platform, have alarmed left-leaning users. Musk’s less stringent content moderation policies and the rise of far-right voices, many aligned with Trump’s political base, have made the platform more contentious for those on the left. Trump’s election victory, coupled with Musk’s growing proximity to the Trump camp, has intensified these concerns. Musk has spent time at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and has been appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new initiative aimed at reducing government waste and regulations.
The defections from X reached a peak after Election Day, with over 115,000 U.S. users deactivating their accounts the day after the election, breaking a previous record set in December 2023. The rapid exodus has further fueled discussions about the future of X, with critics arguing that the platform is increasingly serving as a “mouthpiece for the ‘Trumpian’ right,” as Steven Livingston, director of George Washington University’s Institute for Data, Democracy, and Politics, put it.
Bluesky: A More User-Centric Alternative
Bluesky, which offers users more control over their social media experience, has positioned itself as a counterpoint to X’s evolving structure. Unlike X’s default “For You” page, Bluesky allows users to curate their own feeds, tailoring their online experience according to individual interests. Bluesky’s emphasis on user autonomy is appealing to those fleeing X’s shifting political landscape. Spokesperson Emily Liu highlighted the platform’s commitment to “trust and safety,” noting that Bluesky is designed to empower users with a level of control over their content that X no longer offers.
Billionaire investor Mark Cuban, a vocal critic of Musk, has also shifted more of his social media activity to Bluesky. While Cuban continues to post on X, he has praised Bluesky as a “social network that actually allows you to be social,” noting that the platform is more community-driven and less influenced by algorithmic manipulation. “There isn’t one person driving an algorithm, influencing the tenor of the site,” Cuban said, alluding to Musk’s outsized influence over X’s content.
Despite Bluesky’s smaller user base, the platform’s ability to attract high-profile figures and foster a more civil environment has contributed to its growing popularity. Some analysts, like Jonathan Bellack from Harvard’s Applied Social Media Lab, suggest that the platform’s recent boom could signal a more permanent shift in social media dynamics. “When a lot of popular people move somewhere else, suddenly the benefit of going somewhere else is better,” Bellack explained, referring to the “network effect” that often drives viral adoption.
Bluesky’s rapid rise is part of a larger trend toward a more fragmented social media ecosystem. As platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and even alt-tech alternatives such as Rumble and Gab carve out niche audiences, users are increasingly gravitating toward spaces where they feel more comfortable and ideologically aligned.
“It used to be really two major platforms, Twitter and Facebook, that dominated the social media ecology,” said Erik Nisbet, director of the Center for Communication and Public Policy at Northwestern. “But we have moved to a much more fractured, much more diverse social media ecosystem.”
The growing polarization of social media has raised concerns about the future of open discourse online. As users flock to platforms that better align with their personal beliefs, the lines between echo chambers and diverse, open dialogue continue to blur. Bluesky’s focus on customization and user autonomy may be well-positioned to capitalize on this shift, offering a platform that caters to those seeking more control over their online interactions.
As Democrats continue to flee X for Bluesky, the changing social media landscape raises important questions about the future of online communication. Will Bluesky be able to maintain its momentum and grow into a genuine rival to X, or will its growth plateau as it competes with larger, more entrenched platforms? Only time will tell, but the rise of Bluesky signals a potential shift toward more decentralized and user-driven social media ecosystems, where individuals can curate their own digital experiences free from the influence of a single corporate entity or political agenda.
For now, the growing departure of liberal users from X illustrates a deeper frustration with Musk’s leadership and the direction of the platform, pushing them toward alternatives that prioritize safety, autonomy, and a more community-focused approach to online interaction.
