Bluesky, which has benefited from celebrities and left-leaning users ditching X this week, took a not-so-subtle jab at Elon Musk’s platform on Friday.
The social media app said it has “no intention” of using user data to train its AI models — something that X (formerly Twitter) is now able to do, following a change to its terms of service.
Here’s a look at Bluesky’s comment on the matter, below:
X recently changed its rules, requiring users to file lawsuits against the company in Texas — either in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas or in state courts in Tarrant County. Another key change: users now grant X the ability to use their data for “training of our machine learning and artificial intelligence models, whether generative or another type.”
The changes go into effect on Friday.
CNN’s Don Lemon and actress Gabrielle Union pointed to the updated terms of service as reasons for their exits from X. Others who have left this week include author Stephen King, who said on Friday that the app has become “too toxic,” MSNBC’s Joy Reid and Jamie Lee Curtis.
The wave of celebrity and media departures come after Musk’s preferred candidate, Donald Trump, beat Kamala Harris last week in the 2024 election. Musk has been the president-elect’s most vocal supporter on the app, and also helped Trump via his America PAC, which spent more than $100 million to help get the Republican back in the White House. The Tesla and X boss was also named the co-head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by Trump on Tuesday.
Meta-owned Threads and Bluesky have become the go-to apps for many self-imposed X exiles this week. Bluesky has also enjoyed a post-election user surge — one that pushed it to the top of Apple’s App Store on Thursday.
Data provided to TheWrap by Sensor Tower, a market research company, showed Bluesky’s daily active users count jumped 62% in the week following the election. The Guardian reported the social posting app now had 14.5 million users.
But even with big names leaving the app, X has still seen its daily user base increase 5% after the election, according to Sensor Tower’s data.
