How a Surge of Users is Transforming Bluesky: Challenges and Impacts

Bluesky's 2024 moderation report reveals a rapid increase in harmful content following a massive influx of new users.

Bluesky: Phenomenal Growth in 2024

Bluesky, the renowned online platform, experienced a dramatic growth in 2024, nearly multiplying its user base by nine within a year. According to its recently released moderation report, the user count soared from 2.9 million to nearly 26 million.

Surge in User Reports

Concurrently, the platform’s moderators faced a massive increase in user reports. They received 17 times more reports in 2024 than in 2023, totaling 6.48 million compared to 358,000 the previous year. These reports mainly covered issues like “harassment, trolling, or intolerance,” spam, and deceptive content, including identity theft and misinformation.

Strengthening the Moderation Team

In response, Bluesky has taken steps to bolster its moderation team. In November, the platform updated its identity theft policy to a more “aggressive” approach. At that time, it quadrupled its moderation team. The latest report states that Bluesky’s moderation team now consists of about a hundred members, with ongoing recruitment. “Some moderators specialize in specific political areas, such as agents dedicated to child safety,” the report adds.

Planned Improvements for 2025

Bluesky also has plans for the coming year. The platform intends to alter how reports and appeals are handled to “simplify communication with users.” For instance, it plans to provide updates to users about the actions taken regarding reported content and eventually allow users to directly contest content removal decisions in the app. Looking ahead, Bluesky states: “We are investing in more robust proactive detection systems to complement user reports, as a growing network requires multiple detection methods to quickly identify and address harmful content.”