Meta's Threads is struggling to keep up with social media startup Bluesky, which has benefited from the migration of users away from Elon Musk's X following Donald Trump's election.

According to data from Similarweb as reported by The Financial Times, Bluesky's app usage in the US and UK surged by nearly 300% to reach 3.5 million daily users. The platform gained traction as academics, journalists, and left-leaning politicians moved away from X, which is owned by a prominent supporter of the newly elected president.

Blukesky was once backed by Jack Dorsey and has seen an extraordinary surge in popularity. The app is quickly narrowing the gap with Threads, thanks to a significant increase in daily active users and its focus on promoting public discourse. It is rapidly establishing itself as a new platform for politically engaged users.

More About Bluesky

Bluesky is a decentralized social media platform that was initially created as an independent project by Twitter. It aims to provide users with a more open and transparent alternative to traditional social media platforms. The project is focused on developing a protocol for decentralized social networks, allowing for greater user control over content, data privacy, and moderation, without relying on a centralized company.

It is designed to be an open source decentralized network where users can engage in discussions, share content, and connect with others without being subject to the same corporate-controlled censorship or data collection practices found on platforms like Twitter or Facebook.

As of November 2024, Bluesky has garnered over 20 million users, according to a report by TechCrunch. In May 2024, Bluesky transitioned to being an independent public benefit corporation, now led by CEO Jay Graber, with Jack Dorsey stepping down from its board.

Why is Bluesky gaining Popularity Over Threads?

1.     It is not owned by Meta which is a huge advantage as many users are cautious about privacy concerns. Bluesky offers a decentralised approach and emphasizes on free expression.

2.     Its rise is also attributed to an influx of journalists, academics, left-leaning politicians, and companies seeking an alternative to Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter). 

3.     Unlike Threads, Bluesky allows users to curate custom feeds tailored to specific interests.

4.     Bluesky is designed to foster more open, meaningful conversations with fewer restrictions. It focuses on allowing diverse voices and providing more autonomy to users, making it attractive to those who feel stifled on more traditional platforms like Twitter (X).

5.     Bluesky was created by former Twitter employees with the goal of offering an alternative to Twitter (X) after Elon Musk's acquisition. It attracts users who are disillusioned with Musk's policies, censorship decisions, and changes on X. Bluesky provides a familiar, yet improved, experience for those moving away from X.

Meta's Efforts to Outpace Bluesky

Meta has continued to refine and improve Threads in an effort to attract and retain users. This includes introducing new features such as better content discovery, improved user experience and a renewed focus on improving real-time event timelines.  These updates aim to make Threads a more competitive offering to Bluesky and Twitter (X).