Left-Wing Twitter Alternative Has All The Problems Users Were Running From

Following Elon Musk’s high-profile acquisition of Twitter in 2022, a significant number of left-wing social media users have sought an alternative platform and recently flocked to Bluesky, seeking refuge from what they perceive as the toxicity of Musk’s Twitter (now X). For these users, Bluesky is billed as a kinder, gentler platform, free from the perceived extremism, misinformation, and bigotry that they argue have taken over X under Musk’s leadership. However, as more users migrate to the platform, Bluesky appears to be developing the same culture they left behind — and in some cases, it’s even worse.

Launched by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was originally pitched as a decentralized, ad-free social media network focused on promoting healthy conversation and democratic discourse. Many on the left hailed it as a much-needed escape from X’s increasingly combative and polarizing environment. Celebrities, journalists, and political figures such as Don Lemon, Mark Hamill, and the Guardian made the jump, and Bluesky’s user base quickly grew to include those disillusioned with Musk’s Twitter.

Yet, while Bluesky’s users have sought to build an alternative that they believe promotes civility, recent developments suggest the platform may be breeding many of the same issues they criticized on X. Users who fled Musk’s Twitter for a space free from disinformation, extremism, and hate speech are now finding themselves in the midst of similar behavior on Bluesky, including spreading conspiracy theories, fostering online hostility, and even issuing violent threats.

Take, for instance, the conspiracy theories posted by prominent users like Mueller She Wrote, the pseudonym of popular podcast host Allison Gill. On December 15, Gill posted a bizarre claim that Elon Musk was responsible for recent drone sightings in New Jersey, suggesting Musk was using them to spread right-wing UFO rumors to profit from merchandise or gain Starlink contracts with Space Force. The far-fetched nature of this theory raised eyebrows, as it appeared to be rooted in nothing but speculation and distrust. Such posts have become a worrying part of Bluesky’s landscape, with misinformation and wild conspiracy theories spreading unchecked.

One striking example is a post from a user named Jordan, who claimed to have worked with Elon Musk at Tesla and hinted that they could have prevented the current situation if they had been “as brave as Luigi,” a reference to the alleged assassin of a UnitedHealthcare executive. This post was widely perceived as a thinly veiled death threat against Musk.

Yet, the platform has not only been a place for threats against Musk. Left-leaning journalist Jesse Singal, known for his reporting on issues surrounding gender and sex-change procedures for minors, reported receiving a stream of death threats after joining Bluesky. Singal’s coverage of sensitive topics has made him a target for activists who disagree with his views, and many Bluesky users were quick to harass and intimidate him. Some users even posted what they claimed to be his home address in an attempt to intimidate him further.

In his article for The Free Press, Singal described Bluesky as an “exceptionally angry place,” lamenting the platform’s laissez-faire attitude toward violent threats. He raised concerns that Bluesky’s moderators either condone this behavior or are incapable of managing it, leaving users to fend for themselves in a toxic environment. This mirrors the same issues that led many to abandon X in the first place.

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