Leftist Echo Chamber Bluesky Promises to Comply with EU Censorship Guidelines

competing social networks X and Bluesky
Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto/Getty

Bluesky, the leftist echo chamber that has enjoyed explosive growth since the election, has pledged to adhere to the EU’s censorship-happy regulations following accusations of noncompliance by the bloc’s authorities.

Bloomberg reports that in the wake of the European Union’s accusation that Bluesky has failed to comply with its digital regulations, the rapidly growing social media platform has announced its commitment to rectify the situation. A Bluesky spokesperson stated via email on Tuesday that the company is actively consulting with its legal team to ensure full compliance with the EU’s information disclosure requirements.

Bluesky, which was initially conceived in 2019 as a decentralized alternative to Twitter, has experienced a surge in popularity following Donald Trump’s victory, as many users of Elon Musk’s X platform seek alternative social media options. The company reported an impressive milestone of adding 1 million users in a single day on November 15, with Chief Executive Officer Jay Graber revealing last week that the platform had surpassed the 20 million user mark.

However, the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, declared on Monday that Bluesky had not provided the necessary information as mandated by the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which governs content on social media sites. Thomas Regnier, the commission’s spokesperson on digital matters, explained that all platforms operating within the EU are required to have a dedicated page on their websites disclosing their user numbers in the EU and their legal establishment. Regnier noted that Bluesky had not met these requirements.

Breitbart News previously reported that the influx of leftists fleeing X have brought with them a tendency to complain, demand others are censored, and even posting child pornography, leaving the fledgling company to be flooded with flagged posts.

Under the DSA, platforms with more than 45 million users in the EU are classified as “very large online platforms” and must adhere to stricter content moderation rules under the commission’s supervision. Breaches of these regulations can result in fines of up to six percent of a company’s global annual sales. While smaller platforms are still obligated to comply with the law, they are regulated by the EU country in which they have a legal presence – a point that remains unclear in the case of Bluesky due to its decentralized ownership structure.

The European Commission has requested that EU member countries’ national authorities investigate and attempt to locate any trace of Bluesky within their jurisdictions. This move is part of the EU’s broader efforts to establish itself as a global tech enforcer, with high-profile actions already underway against social networks X, TikTok, and Meta, as well as e-commerce services AliExpress and Temu.

Read more at Bloomberg here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.

Authored by Lucas Nolan via Breitbart November 26th 2024