Bluesky: Social media site reports surge in new UK users following Elon Musk’s riot comments | Science and technology news

Social media platform Bluesky says it has seen a surge in sign-ups in the UK in recent days.

Since X owner Elon Musk made controversial comments about the UK riots, several influential figures have said they would abandon the platform or reduce its use, including Home Secretary Jess Philips.

Now, Bluesky says it has seen a 60% jump in overall account activity in the UK, with several MPs also joining the platform recently.

“Hello everyone here… another potential alternative to that other place…” Labor MP Lewis Atkinson posted on the platform on Monday in his first post.

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Musk has been accused of exacerbating tensions after days of far-right riots in Britain, sparked by online misinformation about the murder of three girls in northern England last month.

He started a fight with the prime minister when he posted saying civil war was “inevitable” in Britain, sparking calls for the government to implement laws policing online content sooner.

“For 5 of the last 7 days, the UK has had the highest number of Bluesky sign-ups of any country,” Bluesky said in a statement on Monday.

What is Blue Sky?

Bluesky is one in a long list of apps looking to replace X following Elon Musk’s chaotic acquisition of the company in late 2022.

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The platform was founded by the then founder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, who created it while still working at the social media giant.

Its format is similar to X, with a familiar timeline format. However, it is designed to be more transparent and allow people outside the company to see how it is built and what is being developed.

As of July, Bluesky’s monthly active user base was about 688,568, a fraction of X’s base of 76.9 million, according to data from Similarweb, a digital market intelligence firm.