Around a million users signed up to social media site Bluesky in the week after Donald Trump’s election victory – but what is it?

Here, the PA news agency explains how the social media platform differs from X and why people flock to it.

– What is Bluesky?

Bluesky is a social media platform where people can interact like they do on X, by posting, replying and messaging each other on a vertical user interface.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that the site spun off from Twitter, now known as X, after its chief executive Jack Dorsey announced in 2019 that the giant would fund developers to create an “open and decentralized for social media.

It officially launched as an independent platform in 2021 and is proving to be a popular destination for people who no longer wish to be on X.

– How is it different from X?

Compared to X, Bluesky offers users the ability to further moderate their experience.

This includes the ability to select the algorithm that powers your experience, helping to create personalized feeds, for example a feed for common followers, a feed for cat photos or one for your particular interest.

“Our goal is to replace the conventional ‘master algorithm’, controlled by a single company, with an open and diverse ‘algorithm marketplace’,” the platform says.

X’s verification feature also drew criticism after it became possible to purchase a blue checkmark, which was previously a sign of an account’s legitimacy.

Bluesky allows users to have domains (website addresses) as identifiers, which it says could serve as a verification tool for journalists, athletes and public figures who have a company’s website in their identifier.

Meanwhile, while

These include allowing users to detach one of their original posts from someone else’s quote post, thereby preventing unwanted interactions.

– Why do people sign up for Bluesky?

If Elon Musk’s takeover of ‘exacerbate this feeling for many.

X and Mr Musk have come under increased scrutiny since the businessman took over the site in late 2022, with the billionaire himself engaging in misleading content and accounts known for spreading misinformation repeatedly.

Following the Southport stabbings, in which three young girls were stabbed to death, he posted a number of images and memes relating to anti-immigration protests and unrest in Britain.

X users have also reported an increase in “bots” making the site difficult to use, with comments sections often dominated by AI-related nonsense.

Several MPs have already migrated to Bluesky, including Social Protection Minister Jess Phillips, Liberal Democrat technology spokesperson Layla Moran and Mother of the House Diane Abbott.

– How many users have signed up for Bluesky?

On November 13, Bluesky announced that it had over 15 million users.

The platform also said it saw one million users sign up in the week following Trump’s election victory.

– Who moved to Bluesky?

American actress Jamie Lee Curtis has spoken out about her decision to quit X after sharing a screenshot confirming she had deactivated her account in an Instagram post.

She can be found on Bluesky with over 29,000 followers and announced her departure from X in a post that read: “#WeDontNeedX.”

TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham, Irish comedian Dara O’Briain and Countdown star Susie Dent are also among its users.