Sir Keir Starmer and the Rise of Bluesky as an X Alternative

Sir Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Labour Party, has announced he has «no plans» to join the blossoming Bluesky social media platform, amid its surge in popularity as an alternative to X, formerly known as Twitter. This stance was articulated by Starmer while attending the G20 summit in Brazil, where he emphasized the government’s focus on reaching «as many people as possible» through existing platforms, particularly Twitter (now X).

Bluesky, founded by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey in 2019, has seen a marked increase in adoption, becoming the most downloaded app in recent weeks on both US and UK Apple Stores. This uptick comes in the aftermath of contentious US elections, prompting many social media users to depart from X.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also reiterated that there are currently no plans for official UK government accounts on Bluesky. Meanwhile, notable political figures such as former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Treasury Minister Darren Jones have already created profiles on the platform.

The distinguishing feature of Bluesky is its decentralized network structure. Unlike traditional social media platforms, Bluesky operates on independent servers, granting users the capacity to create personal algorithms for tailored content experiences. This model contrasts sharply with X’s single algorithm approach and aims to give users more control over their social media interactions.

Bluesky’s accelerated growth was quantified by CEO Jay Graber, who reported a 500% increase in user activity following the recent US elections. However, despite this surge, Bluesky remains much smaller than its competitors, having recently crossed the 20 million user threshold.

The platform, which positions itself as a user-controlled form of social media, was initially funded by Twitter. Dorsey, now detached from Bluesky’s operations, envisioned a decentralized future for digital interactions, a vision which Bluesky attempts to embody.

On the economic front, Bluesky has announced a fresh infusion of venture capital but remains without a definitive business model to sustain its growth. Rose Wang, the Chief Operating Officer, has mentioned a potential subscription model, offering premium features without relying on advertisements.

As Bluesky continues to evolve, it faces challenges related to scaling its operations and potentially encountering the same moderation and content management issues that rival platforms have struggled with.