Bluesky, a rising alternative to X (formerly Twitter), is gaining traction, prompting concerns from Meta about its competition with Threads.
Since October, Bluesky's user base has grown from 13 million to over 22 million, driven by its promises of user-friendly features and privacy-focused policies.
Experts suggest this surge may challenge Threads, which has 275 million monthly active users but faces criticism for lower engagement. Jasmine Enberg, an eMarketer analyst, told The Washington Post that Bluesky's appeal lies in addressing user frustrations with larger platforms.
"Threads has been the go-to for displaced X users, but Bluesky's recent growth intensifies the competition," she noted.
Unlike Threads and X, Bluesky avoids exploiting user content for AI purposes and allows users to customize their feeds and block unwanted interactions.
Meta Revamps Threads Features to Counter Bluesky's Rise
In response, Meta has adapted Threads by integrating features inspired by Bluesky, such as prioritizing posts from followed accounts and allowing feed customization. While Threads boasts significant sign-up rates, with 35 million new users in November alone, questions remain about its ability to retain active users, according to Digital Information World.
Threads broke records in 2023 with rapid growth but has struggled to maintain engagement, as many sign-ups result from Instagram integration rather than organic interest.
Meta continues to promote Threads as a leader in the social media space. However, some observers argue that Bluesky's smaller but more engaged community is creating a unique niche. Although Threads significantly outpaces Bluesky in user numbers, Bluesky's rapid growth has sparked discussions about its potential to disrupt the dominance of larger platforms.
