What is BlueSky Social? Jack Dorsey's new app could spark exodus from Twitter
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey may have something for you — Bluesky Social, a new "decentralized social network" that supposedly intends to recapture user data. Dorsey left his position as CEO of the social media site he co-founded in 2006 in May 2022. But, before you pack your Twitter bags for a decentralized social future, keep in mind that Bluesky isn't quite ready yet. However, the app is currently in the private beta testing stage and will be available to the public "soon". Bluesky unveiled the plan for its decentralized social network protocol, which will be the core code for the app, on Tuesday, October 25.
According to Bluesky, in essence, its ATP Protocol would allow users to roam between a number of social platforms using only one high-quality browser — its app — while managing what they view and how much data they share to those platforms.
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The pivotal focus of the app, Dorsey states, is that of user data. Claiming that Bluesky will be free of political influence and managed by users rather than commercialized by corporations, Dorsey's app has the potential to revolutionize the personal data and ad-revenue economy. Data from user accounts can be transferred between platforms thanks to the app's code. Users of Bluesky will be able to sign in with their account on any social media site that implements the new code. Consequently, they will have access to all of their preferred social media through a single account.
"It's a competitor to any firm attempting to own the basic fundamentals of social media, or the data of the people using it," Dorsey tweeted. Which includes pretty much every social media outlet, including Musk's ad-heavy version of Twitter.
It’s a competitor to any company trying to own the underlying fundamentals for social media or the data of the people using it
— jack (@jack) October 18, 2022
The news of a decentralized social media platform has lit up the crypto community, but a closer inspection reveals that the underlying technology will not purely be based on blockchain. "I am confident in our decision to not place social media content on a blockchain," Bluesky CEO Jay Graber tweeted. "It is blockchain independent and optional. Personally, I wouldn't create a system that supports your on-chain posts," she further added.
It's blockchain optional and blockchain agnostic. I personally wouldn't build a system that backs up your posts on-chain. I mean, you can do that today, by putting the hash of your tweets on-chain. Few do.
— Jay Graber (@arcalinea) October 20, 2022
According to Dorsey, Twitter may also make use of Bluesky’s underlying structure. The objective is for Twitter to eventually become a client of this standard, he continued.