Bluesky, a fledgling social media platform, has announced a bold move: the unbanning of heads of state registrations. This decision comes barely two months after the platform was opened for general signups, demonstrating Bluesky’s readiness to take on bigger challenges.
In its early days, Bluesky discouraged users from sharing invite codes with high-profile political figures. This policy was a result of the platform’s initial phase, where the moderation system was not yet fully established. During this time, Bluesky’s content was a mishmash of chaotic posts, including an influx of eccentric images of Alf, the alien puppet star from the 1980s sitcom.
“Bluesky in its early days was more like the Wild West of the internet, where almost anything went,” says tech journalist Elizabeth Lopatto.
However, Bluesky has come a long way since its ‘Wild West’ days. The platform now offers a unique moderation system that empowers users to create their own filters using the open-sourced Ozone tool. Unlike traditional social media platforms that enforce a universal algorithm, Bluesky provides its users with the freedom to customize their feeds.
Bluesky isn’t stopping at moderation. The platform recently introduced new features such as the addition of hashtags in profile bios and the option to long-press a link to share it. These updates are part of Bluesky’s continuous effort to enhance its user experience.
While Bluesky has now opened its doors to political figures, many world leaders have already marked their presence on other platforms, including Mastodon. Notably, US President Joseph Robinette Biden began using Threads’ limited fediverse integration earlier this month.
“It remains to be seen if Biden and other world leaders will make the switch to Bluesky,” says tech analyst Wes Davis.
But one thing is certain: with this new policy, Bluesky is ready to welcome a more diverse user base, and we’re all eager to see what the future holds.
