You can now get a verified account on Bluesky
A few weeks after announcing plans for a different approach to account verification, X rival Bluesky has quietly launched the feature.
The decentralized social media platform has now started to open up verification to users. While any individuals or organizations can apply for verification or, indeed, to become a Trusted Verifier, it is certainly not the case that all applications will be successful.
Bluesky’s newly unveiled verification system is a unique and interesting approach
Social media has managed to make everyone more connected and informed than ever before, but it has also created a confusing mix of fact and misinformation. Part of the problem is knowing whether to trust that an individual on a particular platform is who they say they are.
Becoming verified on Twitter used to be a goal -- a dream, even -- for many people, but this changed when Twitter morphed into X and verification became a paid-for label available to anyone. Now rival platform Bluesky has unveiled a new component to its existing system of verification. It is an approach that others may learn from.
Social media upstart Mastodon is transitioning into a non-profit organization
X and Bluesky rival Mastodon has announced plans to transition into a non-profit organization. The decentralized social network is looking to further differentiate it from the competition, and the latest move “affirm[s] the intent that Mastodon should not be owned or controlled by a single individual”.
Precise details of how the change will work are yet to be finalized, but there will be a new, dedicated European not-for-profit entity.
European Commission says Bluesky is breaking European rules
Social media darling Bluesky is wooing users and drawing many away from X. But while the platform is enjoying a meteoric rise in popularity, the European Commission is unimpressed with its failure to disclose information.
The commission points out that all social media platforms operating within the European Union must clearly publish key pieces of information, including how many EU users there are. Bluesky does not do this, nor reveal where the company is legally established.
X (Twitter) alternative BlueSky opens sign-ups for everyone
If you always wanted to sign-up for the X (Twitter) alternative BlueSky but never managed to get your hands on an invite code, you will be glad to hear that these codes are no longer required to create an account.
The social media service, which managed to grow to over 3 million users already, is now available for everyone. The number of users pales in comparison to the 130 million that Meta's Threads managed to accumulate, but it is more than Mastadon's 1.8 million.
You can now access X alternative Bluesky without an account
Elon Musk's impact at X -- or Twitter as it was when he bought the company -- has broadly been seen as negative. While some have welcomed his maverick approach to managing the social platform, it left many others seeking a new home. Bluesky and Mastodon quickly emerged as viable alternatives, although Meta has attempted to muscle in on the action with Threads.
Each platform has its own set of pros and cons, but a major obstacle for Bluesky is that it remains invite-only. On top of this, it has not been possible for anyone without an account to view posts made by others -- but this is now changing, as is the platform's logo.
As Twitter flounders, rivals Mastodon and Bluesky flourish, and Meta launches Threads on Thursday
The rocky journey for Twitter continues under Elon Musk, with this weekend seeing bizarre constraints introduced in an attempt to reduce unspecified "data scraping". Users of the service found themselves hit with rate limit warnings as Twitter placed restrictions on the number of tweets that can be viewed each day.
Rival Mastodon has already seen a steady influx of Twitter escapees, and this continued over the weekend with a 300,000 jump in the number of active users; Bluesky is also faring well, to the point that sign-ups have been paused to allow for tweaks and fixes to be implemented to accommodate the levels of interest. But now eyes are turning towards Meta, as the Facebook owner prepares for the launch this Thursday of its own Twitter alternative, Threads by Instagram.
Interest may be growing in Twitter rival Bluesky, but Mozilla is betting on Mastodon
With changes implemented by Elon Musk having disastrous consequences for Twitter, there has been something of an exodus of users. It is "something of an exodus", because while many people are finding new social homes on the likes of T2, Spoutible, Mastodon or -- if they can get their hands on an invite code -- Jack Dorsey's Bluesky, many people are hedging their bets and maintaining something of a presence on Twitter until it becomes a little clearer what the likely successor is to be.
Realistically, the battle seems likely be fought between Mastodon and Bluesky, and Mozilla has just announced an expansion of its investment in the former. The company behind the Firefox web browser has launched its own Mastodon instance, Mozilla.social, in private beta.
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