Bluesky, the emerging decentralized alternative to Twitter, faced criticism this week for lacking an automatic system to prevent the registration of usernames containing racial slurs, particularly the n-word. Multiple reports were filed on Wednesday regarding a user with the offensive term in their handle. While Bluesky eventually resolved the issue, many individuals expressed dissatisfaction with the startup’s lack of apology and prompt action. Interestingly, Bluesky seemed to address the incident days later, portraying it as an isolated occurrence that was swiftly resolved.
The company stated, “On Wednesday, users reported an account that had a slur as its handle. This handle was in violation of our community guidelines, and it was our mistake that allowed it to be created. 40 minutes after it was reported, the account was taken down, and the code that allowed this to occur was patched.”
Bluesky further mentioned that it had made significant investments in its Trust and Safety team in recent months and emphasized its commitment to continue investing in moderation, feedback, and support systems that can effectively scale with the platform’s expanding user base. Engadget reached out for comments from Bluesky, but the company has not responded at the time of writing. Prior to issuing a statement on the matter, Bluesky discreetly added the n-word and around forty other ethnic and racial slurs to its list of “reserved” words, as discovered by Hacker News.
Bluesky’s delayed response appears to have been prompted by a viral LinkedIn post by Scott Hirleman, host of the Data Mesh Radio podcast. Hirleman tagged Bluesky’s executive team, including CEO Jay Graber, and accused the company of failing to address a significant “anti-blackness problem” on its social network. Hirleman suggested that if Bluesky did not wish to operate a social media platform, they should separate the company, focusing on the protocol, and fund the platform with a team that prioritizes these issues. The post has garnered over 700 reactions and approximately 50 comments thus far.
While no social media network is immune to racist individuals, the fact that Bluesky did not have a basic filter for such offensive language, like the n-word, raises surprise, considering that Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey is among the backers of the company. Under Dorsey’s leadership, Twitter was often criticized for its inadequate handling of white supremacy and its failure to provide sufficient protection for Black individuals and other marginalized users.
