NYC officials and agencies are migrating to Bluesky

The app Bluesky Social has taken the internet by storm, following president Donald Trump’s reelection and X owner Elon Musk’s strong support for him. As a result new users are moving to Bluesky by the millions, including those seeking an alternative to X.

Several New York City politicians and agencies have created accounts on Bluesky, but have yet to make any official posts on the platform. When asked why the city agencies haven’t been active, a City Hall spokesperson told City & State, “Our administration is always finding new ways to best keep New Yorkers informed. As Bluesky becomes more popular, we want to combat potential misinformation as we have already identified fake city accounts on the platform, and leave the option open to potentially utilize this emerging platform in the future to reach New Yorkers like we do on other social media apps.”

Bluesky first started as a research project within X in 2019, when the app was known as Twitter, but became an independent company in 2022. Former Twitter Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey started Bluesky because he wanted a decentralized social media platform. He has been critical of X since the company fell under Musk’s leadership in  Oct. 2022. 

A key difference between Bluesky and X is that Bluesky gives creators, developers and users more freedom to make accounts and produce content independent from the company. X saw over 115,000 account deactivations the day after Election Day.

Numerous journalists have also committed to leaving X. The Guardian said they will no longer post on X because the app promotes far-right conspiracy theories, racism and other inappropriate content. 

Some Council members also were, although wanting to connect with their constituents, critical of X and Musk’s leadership and wanted to move to Bluesky to escape his presence. 

Council Member Gale Brewer made her debut on Bluesky on Wednesday with a call to action on violence in her community. She said to City & State that she joined Bluesky because Musk is a “piece of…he is a challenge,” and she hopes to build a community on the platform. 

Council Member Justin Brannan, who opened his account on Thursday with a City Council repost promoting legislation he was sponsoring, said he joined Bluesky because X “has become a wasteland” and wanted to make sure he was ready” for the next thing.” He said X has been filled with “blatant racism and awfulness” and doesn't know if he wants to continue financially contributing to Musk. 

Council Member Carlina Rivera, who has yet to make a post or repost, said she made a Bluesky account because many people are moving over to the platform and, based on conversations with her colleagues, she thinks that the forum won’t be “monopolized or dominated” by a select few influencers through an algorithm. She thinks Bluesky is a friendlier place. 

Council Member Chris Marte said X has been a “toxic space” and, especially under the leadership of Musk, is not reflective of the larger population. Marte said Musk has a right-wing agenda and that Bluesky is a safer space, which he hopes is more reflective of the population. He has, so far, not yet made any posts on his Bluesky account.

Other elected officials shared they joined Bluesky not because of Musk but to become more familiar with their constituents. Some of these officials are also running for borough- or citywide positions.

New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander offered a little positivity when he joined Bluesky on Nov. 17 and posted “Please follow along if one thing you're looking for in the blue sky is a safer, more affordable, more livable, and better run New York City” in his introduction message from his campaign account. To avoid the appearance of using government resources for political gain, elected officials usually maintain two accounts: one for campaign use and one for government use. On the government side, the comptroller’s office has also arrived on Bluesky. “As a government agency, it’s our responsibility to communicate to as many New York City residents as we can, so we want to take advantage of different platforms to reach people,” Chloe Chik, comptroller’s office press secretary, told City & State. 

Council member and Manhattan Borough President candidate Keith Powers wished the city a “Good Morning” in his first Bluesky post on Nov. 13. Powers said to City & State he joined Bluesky with excitement because as an elected official, his role is to be in communication with his constituents. 

Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr. has two reposts on his Bluesky account, one of his bid to be the next Bronx borough president on Sept. 17 and one of his criticism of the borough’s lack of a transportation commissioner, which was made on Sept. 13, 2023. Christian Amato, a spokesperson for Salamanca’s campaign, said he launched an account as a part of his borough presidential campaign to connect with residents and engage in meaningful, positive conversations. He said Salamanca hopes the platform will allow for transparent dialogue with residents and is very excited to engage with the app. 

Council Member Sandra Ung opened her Bluesky account on Wednesday with a post featuring her visit to P.S. 20. Alexander Hart, chief of staff for Ung, said to City & State that Ung opened a Bluesky account to be more aware of who the voters are, where the press are, and where people are reading the news. 

No elected official City & State spoke with has yet made a commitment to leave X permanently. Officials continue to post regularly on the platform of their political takes. 

Bluesky has over 22 million users, and the app’s numbers are quickly growing. To read posts by City & State, please visit our page on the social media networking platform.