Bluesky sees massive surge of 700000 new members as Swifties ...

In the wake of the US election, Bluesky, a social networking platform, witnessed an increase of over 700,000 users as people want to avoid offensive messages and false information on Elon Musk-owned X.

Bluesky has grown its global user base from 9 million in September to 14.5 million thanks to the influx, which is mostly from North America and the UK, according to company.(AFP)

According to the company, Bluesky has grown its global user base from 9 million in September to 14.5 million thanks to the influx, which is mostly from North America and the UK.

Swifties, Taylor Swift's fan base, are also escaping X for Bluesky. In the White House race, Musk was one of Donald Trump's most significant supporters and he contributed more than $100 million to the America PAC, which supports the GOP leader. He also promoted Trump's agenda on X and assisted him in reaching a male audience that leans clearly to the right.

Swifties, who have established a strong following on X, started leaving the platform in less than 48 hours after Trump's election victory, WIRED reported.

Justin, who uses the Bluesky handle @justin-the-baron.swifties.social and requested to be identified only by his first name out of concern for harassment, stated “I love the idea of building a new community here and would love not to have to support Elon in any way.” “Elon is of course a big Trump supporter, which doesn't align with Taylor's values or the values of Swifties.”

Swifties for Kamala organizer, Irene Kim, claims that she and many other Swift fans fled X and sought refuge on Bluesky due to the influx of misogyny that followed the election. Despite studies showing that hate speech and misinformation surged after Musk took over the site, Trump's election appears to have accelerated it.

In the 24 hours after Trump's presidential triumph, terms like “Your body, my choice,” which echo white supremacist Nick Fuentes' election-night views, increased 4,600 percent on X, according to a report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

Also Read: Elon Musk's net worth crosses $300 billion following Trump's victory, a first in three years

According to both Kim and Justin, they have seen a remarkable change in Bluesky as they are feeling safer and receiving more support from the community. One user said, “The Swifties are here, and I, for one, welcome our new overlords.”

“Bluesky literally feels like a social media app again, where I'm just connected with my community or like other interesting posts. I feel like people aren't as geared up to fight you,” Kim said.

Bluesky, according to social media analyst Axel Bruns, provided an alternative to X, with a more efficient method for policing disruptive behavior and removing or suspending problematic accounts, as per The Guardian.

“It’s become a refuge for people who want to have the kind of social media experience that Twitter used to provide, but without all the far-right activism, the misinformation, the hate speech, the bots and everything else,” he said.

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