A year ago, Bluesky was opening up to the public and was known as one of the many X competitors that emerged after Elon Musk acquired the network formerly known as Twitter. Today, Bluesky’s social network has grown to over 33 million users, while the technology it’s built upon — the AT Protocol (or ATProto…
Category: Bluesky
Bluesky, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Hillary Clinton, Social
Hillary Clinton joins Bluesky
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has joined Bluesky, following in the footsteps of former president Barack Obama, who made his first post on the platform last week. Clinton confirmed her Bluesky account’s legitimacy in an Instagram story and a post on X. In her introductory post, Clinton wrote about the Wisconsin Supreme Court election…
Apps, Bluesky, evergreens, Global Security News, Social
Beyond Bluesky: These are the apps building social experiences on the AT Protocol
A year ago, Bluesky was opening up to the public and was known as one of the many X competitors that emerged after Elon Musk acquired the network formerly known as Twitter. Today, Bluesky’s social network has grown to over 33 million users, while the technology it’s built upon — the AT Protocol (or ATProto…
AT Protocol, Bluesky, Global Security News, Social
What’s next for ATProto, the protocol powering Bluesky and other apps
It’s getting easier to build new applications on ATProto, the protocol that powers Bluesky’s social network and a growing number of other apps. At ATmosphere, the ATProto community conference held over the weekend in Seattle, Bluesky CTO Paul Frazee offered attendees a glimpse of what’s ahead for the protocol’s development and how those will help…
atproto, Bluesky, developers, Global Security News, Social, social media, social networking, Startups
A world without Caesars: How the ATProto community is rebuilding the web to return power to the people
The first in-person gathering devoted to those building with the AT Protocol — which powers Bluesky — was held in Seattle.
Bluesky, Global Security News, Obama, Social
Barack Obama joins Bluesky
Social network Bluesky, an alternative to X built on open source technologies, has scored a big win in terms of attracting notable users to its platform. The company on Sunday confirmed that former president Barack Obama has joined its service. Bluesky OOO Rose Wang replied to a post where someone wondered if the account posting…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, social media
Bluesky makes it easier for publishers to track referrals
Social network Bluesky, an open source X rival, has made a change that will allow publishers to better track the referral traffic originating from posts on its platform. According to a comment from Bluesky employee Emily Liu, the company is now sending referral traffic through Bluesky’s “go” subdomain to make it easier for publishers to…
Bluesky, Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mark Zuckerberg, Social, social media, social networking
Bluesky made more money selling t-shirts mocking Zuckerberg than custom domains
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber made a splash at SXSW last week, showing up at her keynote event in a t-shirt that subtly poked fun at Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg. Or, at least it seemed like it was subtle. But so many people appreciated the jab that users convinced Bluesky to reproduce and sell Graber’s shirt…
Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, jay graber, Social
Bluesky users debate plans around user data and AI training
Social network Bluesky recently published a proposal on GitHub outlining new options it could give users to indicate whether they want their posts and data to be scraped for things like generative AI training and public archiving. CEO Jay Graber discussed the proposal earlier this week, while on-stage at South by Southwest, but it attracted…
Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, SXSW
Bluesky quickly sold out of the T-shirt its CEO wore to troll Mark Zuckerberg
When Bluesky CEO Jay Graber took the SXSW stage this week, she managed to make fun of Mark Zuckerberg without mentioning Meta at all. Her black T-shirt was emblazoned with black text stretching across the chest and sleeves, similar to the style of a T-shirt that the billionaire founder wore at an event last year.…
Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, SXSW
Bluesky is weighing a proposal that gives users consent over how their data is used for AI
Speaking at the SXSW conference in Austin on Monday, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber says the social network has been working on a framework for user consent over how they want their data to be used for generative AI. The public nature of Bluesky’s social network has already allowed others to train their AI systems on…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, TikTok
Bluesky now lets users upload videos that are up to 3 minutes long
Bluesky now allows videos that are up to 3 minutes long, the decentralized social network announced on Monday. The platform launched support for video back in September with a 60-second time limit. With the new expanded time limit, Bluesky is bringing its user experience more in line with its competitors, X (formerly Twitter) and Meta’s…
Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mark Zuckerberg, Social, SXSW
At SXSW, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber pokes fun at Mark Zuckerberg with Latin phrase T-shirt
When Bluesky CEO Jay Graber walked on stage at SXSW 2025 for her keynote discussion, she wore a large black T-shirt with her hair pulled back into a bun. At first glance, it might appear as though she’s following the same playbook that so many women in tech leadership have played before: downplaying her femininity…
Bluesky, fediverse, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mastodon, Social
Tapbots teases a new Bluesky app, Phoenix, saying it can’t ‘survive on Mastodon alone’
There’s a new Bluesky app in the works from a popular developer of iOS applications. Tapbots, the company behind the popular Mastodon client Ivory, born out of its earlier efforts with Tweetbot (RIP), is readying a new app called Phoenix, designed for Bluesky’s growing social network of over 32 million users. In a post on…
Apps, Bluesky, flashes, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Social
Bluesky-based Instagram alternative Flashes launches publicly
Instagram alternative Flashes publicly launched its Bluesky-based photo-sharing app on the App Store this week, gaining nearly 30,000 downloads in its first 24 hours. The app offers a classic Instagram-like experience, allowing users to upload up to four photos and videos of up to a minute in length. Built by Berlin-based developer Sebastian Vogelsang, Flashes…
Apps, Bluesky, Browser, discord, Global IT News, Global Security News, Opera, Social
Opera integrates Bluesky, Slack, and Discord into its browser
Bluesky is getting added to the Opera web browser. On Tuesday, the Norway-based software maker announced the addition of the new social network alongside Slack and Discord, which will all be integrated into the browser’s sidebar alongside other messaging and communication services. Opera users have been able to customize their browsers with shortcuts to messaging…
Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, social media
Bluesky adds a ‘followers only’ reply option
The new feature lets users limit their conversations to connections of their own choosing. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Marketing, Social, social media, social media analytics
Bluesky gets growth and analytics tools with BlueSkyHunter launch
A new startup is addressing the need for an all-in-one toolset built for people who want to grow, manage, and track their Bluesky presence and following. The subscription service BlueSkyHunter, which launched Friday, introduces an online dashboard that combines access to analytics and other tools to schedule posts and automate DMs (direct messages), alongside other…
Bluesky, doge, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation
How this weekend’s ‘Tesla Takeover’ protests against Elon Musk came together on Bluesky
As Elon Musk and his acolytes rip through the federal government looking for agencies to throw into the “wood chipper,” a grassroots effort to hit the world’s richest man where it hurts is picking up steam. The courts are busy contesting the actions of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, but the judicial system is slow…
Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Pinksky, Social, social networking, TC
Built on Bluesky, Pinksky brings its Instagram-like app to Android
Bluesky users on Android now have access to a new app that works more like Instagram than X. On Tuesday, an app called Pinksky launched an Android version of its photo-centric social networking experience built on top of Bluesky. The app is now one of many attempting to court former Instagram users by offering a…
Apps, Bluesky, evergreens, flashes, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, open social web, photo sharing, pixelfed, Social
These apps are building Instagram alternatives on open protocols
Consumer demand for alternatives to Big Tech’s social apps is heating up. Alternative social networks like Bluesky and Mastodon are gaining traction with people looking to leave X, while others are building ban-proof TikTok alternatives on open protocols. Similarly, many independent developers are also working on open, decentralized alternatives to Instagram, Meta’s flagship photo-sharing app…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, social media
Bluesky will soon let you limit replies to ‘followers only’
Social network Bluesky will soon give its users more control over who can reply to their posts. Confirmed by Bluesky developer Paul Frazee, Bluesky will add a new “followers only” setting that users can configure to limit replies. In addition, he says, Bluesky will create a way for users to set their default reply settings.…
Apps, atproto, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, photo sharing, photos, Social, social network
Flashes, a photo-sharing app for Bluesky, opens beta
Flashes, an Instagram alternative built on top of the Bluesky social network, is now opening its doors to beta testers. Announced just weeks ago, the app offers people a means of exiting Meta’s social networking empire for a more open alternative, while also attracting new users who may not have been interested in using Bluesky’s…
Apps, Bluesky, fediverse, feeds, Global IT News, Global Security News, iOS apps, Mastodon, open social, Open Web, RSS, social web, tapestry
A review of Tapestry, an app powered by the growing open web
A new app called Tapestry, which launched Tuesday, aggregates and organizes information from across the web and social networks in a single place. It is, in some ways, like this generation’s FriendFeed, for those old enough to remember the earlier attempt from the Web 2.0 era to aggregate feeds and social media updates in a…
Bluesky, feeds, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social, social media, Threads
Challenging Bluesky, Threads now allows for public custom feeds
Meta’s Threads is doubling down on support for custom feeds as it faces challenges from the growing social network Bluesky, now with over 30 million users, which also offers custom feeds as one of its key features. On Tuesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that users can now set their custom feeds to be public…
Bluesky, evergreens, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TikTok, videos
Here are the apps battling to be become the ‘TikTok for Bluesky’
TikTok’s potential U.S. ban has sparked a flurry of development within the open social web community. Several new applications are being built that could one day serve as a TikTok replacement for those who favor the open source, decentralized social network Bluesky and the technology that powers it, the AT Protocol. Though the TikTok ban…
Bluesky, evergreens, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mastodon, Social, Twitter, twitter/x, X
How to delete X and move on with your life
As Elon Musk’s X sees a decline in daily active users, some people are deciding to ditch the social network entirely, whether that’s for Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads, or perhaps, better yet, nothing at all. Since the Tesla and SpaceX CEO bought Twitter in 2022, numerous alternatives have cropped up, seeking to ensnare people who are…
Bluesky, bluesky algorithm, Custom feeds, Global IT News, Global Security News, graze, open social web, Social, social media, Startups
Custom feed builder Graze is building a business on Bluesky, and investors are paying attention
A startup called Graze, which lets you build your own feeds for the Bluesky social network, has caught investors’ attention. In addition to offering tools to easily build, customize, publish, and manage Bluesky feeds, Graze will soon allow feed creators to monetize their efforts with advertising, sponsored posts, and subscriptions. In other words, Graze has…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social, Threads, Twitter, X
Threads adds a ‘media’ tab and the ability to tag people in photos
Meta’s newer social network Threads announced on Thursday that it’s introducing a dedicated “media” tab for both photos and videos, only days after its rivals, including X (formerly Twitter) and the startup Bluesky, did the same for videos. In addition, Meta will also now allow users to tag people in the photos they share. Instagram…
Apps, Bluesky, Exclusive, fediverse, Funding, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mastodon, nostr, open social, openvibe, Social, Threads
Automattic and others back Openvibe, an app that’s unifying the open social web
Openvibe’s clever app that integrates multiple open social networks including Bluesky, Mastodon, Nostr, and Threads, just got a boost toward its future development. The company on Tuesday announced that it has received outside investment of $800,000 in a round led by Czech Founders VC, which includes backing from WordPress.com and Tumblr parent company, Automattic, as…
Apps, at proto, AT Protocol, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, reelo, Social, social media, TikTok, Video, video apps, video sharing
Reelo stands out among the apps building a ‘TikTok for Bluesky’
There are a number of projects now underway that are focused on developing a video-first app for the open source social network Bluesky. However, one stands out from the rest: An upcoming app called Reelo isn’t building on top of the Bluesky social network, as so many others are, but is building on the underlying…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, social media, TikTok, Video
Bluesky adds video to user profiles
Social network Bluesky is doubling down on video. After it added a new TikTok-like custom video feed last week in the wake of the U.S. ban on the popular video app (now on pause), the company on Monday announced it’s adding a new video tab to Bluesky user profiles. The tab will allow people to…
Apps, Bluesky, flipboard, Global IT News, Global Security News, open social web, Social, social media, social networking, surf, Video
Flipboard’s new app Surf adds its own video feed, too
After the TikTok ban went into effect on Sunday, social network Bluesky launched a custom feed for videos on its platform. Now, Flipboard’s newest app, Surf, which is dedicated to browsing the open social web and decentralized services like Mastodon and Bluesky, is taking advantage of that move to introduce a video feed of its…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, TC, TikTok, TikTok Ban, Twitter
Bluesky launches a custom feed for vertical videos
It is the product shipping time for all social networks with TikTok’s services in the restoration phase, and the app still unavailable in the App Store and the Play Store. Bluesky said Sunday that it is launching a custom feed for vertical video in its app. Users can see a trending videos section in the explore tab…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, moderation, Social, social media
Bluesky saw 17x increase in moderation reports in 2024 after rapid growth
Bluesky on Friday published its moderation report for the past year, noting the sizable growth the social network experienced in 2024 and how that affected its Trust & Safety team’s workload. It also noted that the largest number of reports came from users reporting accounts or posts for harassment, trolling, or intolerance — an issue…
Apps, at proto, AT Protocol, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mark Cuban, open social web, Social, social networking, Startups, TikTok
Mark Cuban is ready to fund a TikTok alternative built on Bluesky’s AT Protocol
Entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban is ready to fund a TikTok alternative built on Bluesky’s AT Protocol, he shared in a TikTok video posted on Wednesday. In anticipation of the coming U.S. TikTok ban, which will go through on Sunday unless paused by the Supreme Court, users have been fleeing to other video platforms, including…
Apps, Bluesky, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, iOS apps, photo sharing, Social, social media, Social networks
Bluesky is getting its own photo-sharing app, Flashes
More good news for those looking to exit Meta’s social app ecosystem in favor of a more open alternative: An independent developer is building a photo-sharing app for Bluesky called Flashes. The soon-to-launch app is powered by the same technology that underpins Bluesky, the AT Protocol, and has been built using code from the developer’s…
Apps, AT Protocol, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, Twitter
A new campaign aims to safeguard social media from billionaires using Bluesky’s underlying tech
As Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg continue to reshape the social media space, a group of international tech entrepreneurs and advocates has launched a campaign to protect social media from the control and influence of billionaires. The initiative, Free Our Feeds, aims to protect Bluesky’s underlying technology, the AT Protocol, and leverage it to create…
Apps, AT Protocol, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, Twitter
‘Free Our Feeds’ campaign aims to billionaire-proof Bluesky’s tech
As Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg continue to reshape the social media space, a group of international tech entrepreneurs and advocates has launched a campaign to protect social media from the control and influence of billionaires. The initiative, Free Our Feeds, aims to protect Bluesky’s underlying technology, the AT Protocol, and leverage it to create…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social, Threads, Twitter, X
Threads prototypes custom display names and cover images for profiles
Instagram Threads is developing new features that would bring its user experience more in line with that of X (formerly Twitter) and the social network Bluesky. The Meta-owned company is internally prototyping the ability to set a display name and add a cover image to profiles. A spokesperson for the company confirmed to TechCrunch on…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, social apps, social media, social networking, Startups, Threads, Twitter, X
Bluesky bump from X exodus is slowing down, data shows
Social network and X competitor Bluesky’s massive growth slowed in December in the U.S., after having surged from 9+ million in September to north of 20 million users in November. The slowdown is based on an analysis of web traffic and mobile app daily active users by analytics firm Similarweb, which found that Bluesky grew…
Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Media & Entertainment, olympics, Social
The online moments that defined 2024
Ah, 2024: the year we debated how to pronounce “hawk tuah,” pondered the health benefits of eating rocks, and held space for a Broadway showstopper. It was a year when the discourse could feel shockingly pure and joyful — at least for a few minutes, before we all came tumbling back down to reality. Online…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, social media, Threads Styling, trending topics
Bluesky starts testing a trending topics feature
Social network Bluesky said on Christmas day that it launched trending topics feature in beta. The trending topics are available on both desktop and mobile apps of the social network. On the desktop, you can see trending topics on the right sidebar, and on the mobile apps, you can tap on the search button to…
anaconda, AT Protocol, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Peter Wang, Skyseed fund, Social, Startups, Venture
Meet Skyseed, a VC fund and incubator backing the Bluesky and AT Protocol ecosystem
On November 15, Peter Wang posted a message requesting ideas for a new incubator and fund to support experimental projects built on the burgeoning Bluesky/AT Protocol ecosystem. Four weeks later, Skyseed emerged with an initial commitment of $1 million. This turnaround, a speed underscored by the fact that the fund doesn’t even have a website…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, social media startups, Social networks
Bluesky adds mentions tab in the notifications screen and username squatting protection
Social network Bluesky has released a new update to its app that includes a separate mentions tab in notifications, protections against username squatting, and new controls for replies sorting. The company announced that it is adding a new mentions tab with the v1.96 rollout to let you see those posts separately. Until now, all notifications…
Bluesky, Data Privacy, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, social media startups, Venture
With 25M users, Bluesky gets a $1M fund to take on social media and AI
The fund will offer grants to those building on BlueSky’s open source AT Protocol. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
activitypub, Apps, at proto, Bluesky, fediverse, flipboard, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mastodon, open social web, Social, social media, surf, TC
Flipboard lauches Surf, a new app for browing the open social web
Social magazine app maker Flipboard is reinventing itself for the new era of the open social web. While the company’s original app allowed users to collect content from blogs, news websites, and traditional social media services like Facebook and Twitter in order to create curated magazines, its new app called Surf, launching into invite-only beta…
Bluesky, bridgy fed, fediverse, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mastodon, open social web, Social, web development
Bridgy Fed, a project to connect the open social web, is now becoming a nonprofit
Bridgy Fed, which is working to connect the social network Bluesky with the wider fediverse (aka the open social web), which includes sites like Mastodon and others, will be the first app incubated within a new nonprofit called A New Social. The organization, announced Tuesday, aims to bring together developers, researchers, startups, and industry leaders…
Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, moderation, Social, social media
Bluesky is at a crossroads as users petition to ban newcomer over anti-trans views
Now with 25 million users, Bluesky is facing a test that will determine whether or not its platform will still be seen as a safe space and place of refuge from the toxicity of X. In recent days, a large number of users on Bluesky have been urging the company to ban one newcomer for…
Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, moderation, Social, social media
Bluesky at a crossroads as users petition to ban Jesse Singal over anti-trans views, harassment
Now with 25 million users, Bluesky is facing a test that will determine whether or not its platform will still be seen as a safe space and place of refuge from the toxicity of X. In recent days, a large number of users on Bluesky have been urging the company to ban one newcomer for…