Bluesky's Moderation Challenge: A 17x Surge in Reports Amid Rapid Growth

In the rapidly evolving landscape of social media, Bluesky has emerged as a popular alternative to X (formerly Twitter), attracting a significant user base in 2024. However, this rapid growth has presented the platform with a unique challenge: a 17x increase in moderation reports compared to the previous year. This surge in reports has put Bluesky's Trust & Safety team under significant pressure, highlighting the need for the platform to adapt and evolve its moderation strategies to maintain user trust and safety.

The 17x increase in moderation reports can be attributed to several factors, including Bluesky's rapid user growth, increased awareness and usage of the platform, and changes in moderation policies. As Bluesky added over 23 million users in 2024, the volume of content and user interactions grew exponentially, leading to a corresponding increase in reports. Additionally, Bluesky's decision to accept moderation reports directly from its app and support appeals in-app may have contributed to the surge in reports, as users became more empowered to flag content they deemed inappropriate.



However, this rapid user growth has also presented challenges in managing content moderation effectively. Bluesky has seen an influx of reports, leading to a backlog in addressing moderation reports and requiring the platform to hire more staff and implement automation to reduce processing time. While automation has helped reduce processing time for "high-certainty" accounts, it has also led to false positives, which human moderators must address. Additionally, Bluesky has faced challenges in responding to regional cultural differences, as automated systems may not accurately interpret certain terms or content.



To address these challenges, Bluesky has implemented several strategies to maintain user trust and safety. The platform has increased its moderation team to roughly 100 moderators, up from 25, to handle the influx of reports. Bluesky has also begun automating more categories of reports beyond just spam to help address the influx of content, although this automation sometimes leads to false positives. To address regional cultural differences, Bluesky has hired more language-specific staff, including through contract vendors, to help manage the influx of reports.



In conclusion, Bluesky's rapid user growth has led to a 17x increase in moderation reports, presenting the platform with significant challenges in managing content moderation effectively. However, by implementing strategies such as increasing its moderation team, automating more categories of reports, and addressing regional cultural differences, Bluesky can maintain user trust and safety as it continues to grow and evolve. As the social media landscape continues to change, platforms like Bluesky must adapt and innovate to meet the needs of their users and maintain their relevance in the market.