Bluesky Experiences Outages Amid Surge in User Growth

Bluesky, a direct competitor to Elon Musk's X platform, encountered technical difficulties after rapidly climbing to the top of the App Store charts. With a user base of over 16 million individuals, Bluesky faced disruptions on Thursday as it attracted millions of new users within a short span of time.

Reasons for Outages and User Migration

Reports indicate that many users are opting to switch from Elon Musk's X to Bluesky, citing concerns over Musk's involvement in Trump's election victory and X's updated terms of service. Bluesky users have been vocal about experiencing outages as the platform struggles to accommodate the influx of new registrations.

Technical Challenges and Response

A spokesperson for Bluesky addressed the outages, attributing them to an external issue with one of the platform's internet service providers. The spokesperson clarified that the downtime, caused by a severed fiber cable, lasted between 15 to 30 minutes for certain users and assured that not all users were impacted by the disruption.

Celebrity Endorsements and User Growth

Bluesky's surge in popularity was further fueled by endorsements from public figures like Don Lemon, who publicly announced their departure from Elon Musk's X ahead of an impending terms of service modification. The platform witnessed a significant increase in user sign-ups, with 2.5 million new members joining in the past week alone.

Market Position and Comparison

Despite reaching the 16 million user milestone, Bluesky's user base pales in comparison to X's massive audience of 250 million daily users. Additionally, Meta-owned Threads, a similar social media platform, boasts nearly 275 million monthly users, as highlighted by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Legal Implications and User Agreement

Noteworthy changes to X's terms of service require users to consent to resolving all legal disputes in a specific federal court district, a move that legal experts suggest could favor the platform's interests. This alteration has prompted a wave of user migration to alternative platforms like Bluesky.

As both Bluesky and X navigate the evolving landscape of social media, the competition for user engagement and loyalty remains fierce. Despite facing temporary setbacks, Bluesky's rapid growth and user adoption signal its potential to emerge as a prominent player in the social networking sphere.

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By: jhart@insider.com (Jordan Hart,Lloyd Lee)
Title: Bluesky Experiences Outages Amid Surge in User Growth
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-x-competitor-bluesky-suffers-outages-user-signups-rise-2024-11
Published Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2024 01:16:25 +0000