X alternative Bluesky sees surge in users over last week
Bluesky, a social media platform seen as an alternative to Elon Musk's X, has surged in popularity, gaining over 700,000 new users last week and surpassing 14.5 million total users. Despite its growth, Meta's Threads remains a larger competitor.
- Tech
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 04:09 | 12 November 2024
- Modified Date: 04:09 | 12 November 2024
Over the last week more than 700,000 people have started using Bluesky, a social media platform seen as an alternative to the Elon Musk-owned platform X, pushing the young platform's total user numbers over 14.5 million, said Bluesky COO Rose Wang.
A majority of the new Bluesky users are from the US, tech-focused website the Verge wrote on Tuesday.
Bluesky is now the second-most downloaded social media app in the US Appstore, it said.
Despite Bluesky's surging popularity, the Meta-owned competitor Threads is still larger.
The outcome of last week's US presidential election could have spurred a surge in new users for Bluesky, with Musk one of President-elect Donald Trump's biggest and highest-profile supporters.
People might be seeking an alternative to platforms owned by Musk or seeking a new forum due to the rise in hate speech on X, said the Verge.
A recent drop in sales of Musk's Tesla electric cars has also been blamed, at least partially, on eco-conscious buyers not wanting to support his right-wing views.
Bluesky, originally created as a project within Twitter in 2019, became an independent company in 2022.
Currently led by Jay Graber, the platform also gained 3 million new users after X was suspended in Brazil in September.