Bluesky is raking in the refugees of Elon Musk's X

Social media makes up a massive part of our daily lives. In the Reuters 2024 Digital News Report, 37% of people in the UK stated that social media was the main way they consumed news.

It's important, then, for any such app to be trustworthy, honest and free of bias. And that's exactly why people are flooding to Bluesky.

Often billed as an alternative to the site formerly known as Twitter, Bluesky offers a lot to love for those seeking emancipation from X.com. That site has come under intense scrutiny since being taken over by Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, whose leadership has seen the rise of bots, right-wing hate speech and other unwanted content.

That was furthered over the course of the recent USA election. There, Musk stood alongside eventual pick, Donald Trump, offering cash prizes to those who registered to vote in swing states.

The link between Musk and Trump was too much for many to bear. Speaking with The Guardian, historian and professor, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, said, "when X could be owned by a de facto member of the Trump administration, its functions as a Trump propaganda outlet and far-right radicalization machine could be accelerated."

She's not alone. The same report suggests that 700,000 people have migrated from X.com to Bluesky in the week since the election. That adds to the millions of users who have already moved after various controversies for the brand.

It's a compelling sign for those seeking a taste of the old Twitter environment. Users who have already moved are vocal about their enjoyment of a site with "real users", taking aim at the reported wealth of bots on X.com.

Whether it ultimately ends up as the next version of Twitter, or simply another well intended but ultimately unused platform, remains to be seen. One thing is certain, though – there are plenty of alternatives out there and users are clearly willing to show their disdain with their feet.