Bluesky revealed it is revisiting its content moderation policy around Palestine in response to complaints it was suspending accounts fundraising for Gaza.
In a recent email to user Molly Shah (@mommunism.bsky.social), Bluesky detailed its current moderation process, revealing that activities like sharing fundraising links under unrelated posts could trigger account labels or even deletions, which appears to have caused some of the initial bans.
Shah is among the many users who raised questions about Gaza-related accounts getting deleted on the platform.
The accusations came after the social media app saw a new surge of users as many fled X in the wake of the 2024 presidential election.
In a previous post, Shah expressed her concern about Bluesky tagging pro-Palestinian accounts as spam, noting that many accounts were being banned without clear justification.
Shah pointed out in her thread that she has seen over a dozen accounts deleted or marked as spam;
The accounts being deleted seemed to all be sharing GoFundMe links, asking the public to donate.
Shah emailed Bluesky on Nov. 12 seeking clarity on the platform's moderation practices. In their Nov. 17 response, Bluesky explained that certain behaviors, such as gaining a large following in a short amount of time, could trigger automated spam filters, leading to account labels or removals.
The platform acknowledged the concerns raised by users and indicated they were working on changes to refine their moderation system and reduce unnecessary flagging.
In her post summarizing the exchange, Shah pointed out that there could be unintentional anti-Palestinian bias at play, something social media networks have grappled with.
"I haven't seen anything that proves they were directly targeting Palestinians. HOWEVER, Palestinians were getting labeled and deleted at much higher rates than other accounts," wrote Shah in the thread. She warned that the current cycle of account deletions, followed by users creating new profiles and posting similar content, could lead to a vicious cycle of removals without users understanding why.
Bluesky, in its response shared by Shah, emphasized its commitment to fair treatment. "Gazan accounts are welcome to build up a following authentically and organically, to tell their stories and to fundraise," the company stated.
But while there's been mass criticism of X recently for its rightward turn, the site has been invaluable in amplifying images of suffering and destruction out of Gaza as well as raising money for Palestine.
Now, with a raft of left-leaning users departing X, some are worried that that well of support will dry up, unsure if Palestinian content will get traction on Bluesky.
"There is a scary lack of Palestinian content over here," posted Bluesky user @tannedjoongi. "I always see GoFundMe links for Palestine on Twitter, but there's literally nothing here."
Another echoed the same concern.
"There is a scary lack of Palestinian content over there. Like the moment I open this app I always see a go fund me for Palestine/Sudan/Conte and there's literally nothing there!?" posted by X user @tannedjoongi about Bluesky.
Some organizers say that the migration of users has caused a dip in donations for Gaza.
"As American users leave Twitter to avoid the reality of Zionist genocide, Palestinians crowdfunding on Twitter have seen massive dips in donations," tweeted X user @wawog_now.
"I actually find it extremely nefarious that there is a mass divestment from Twitter/X when this is the only platform that has reliably provided the very images, videos, and first hand accounts from Palestine that contradict every mainstream media outlet," tweeted X user @bobuqsayed.
However, several activists and organizers are trying to meet their audience, establishing a presence on Bluesky.
The account @Workshops4Gaza, a collective of writers, artists, and educators offering online workshops to raise funds for Palestinians, launched on Bluesky on Nov. 17. Its debut post was widely shared by prominent users seeking to amplify their efforts. However, the collective said they would not consider leaving platform X just yet.
Bluesky, founded in 2019 by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, is a decentralized social media platform emphasizing transparency and user control.
In recent weeks, Bluesky has experienced a surge in activity. Data from Jaz's Bluesky Index, a third-party analytics tool, indicates that site activity -- including likes and follows -- has spiked nearly sevenfold in the past two months.