Bluesky posters are a parody and not an official advertising campaign

THE Social media platform Bluesky has seen a rush of new users in 2024, with some leaving X due to concerns about the spread of disinformation. However, online images of Bluesky ads circulating on the platform formerly known as Twitter are not authentic; an unaffiliated designer based in New York created them.

“No Incels,” declares the ad shared in a December 7 Bluesky article, a reference to the online subculture of involuntary celibacy.

Another Bluesky article from December 7 shares a picture of a sign that says: “No Trolls”.

The same images have spread elsewhere on Bluesky, FacebookInstagram and threads.

Bluesky had 25.5 million users as of December 20 (archived here) but attracts a fraction of the active users of X (archived here) and Meta’s Threads (archived here). Several media outlets and public figures said they joined the platform due to concerns about misinformation following the 2024 U.S. election and billionaire Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter.

However, Bluesky did not run the ads shared on social media.

A reverse image search reveals that artist Winston Tseng shared the panels as part of a project he called “social media (dis)engagement” (archived here).

Tseng confirmed he created the ads and said they were “a satirical reflection of today’s social media.”

“As parody ads, I understand that people see them as official affirmations of what Bluesky is or promises, but instead they are an indictment of what social media experiences have evolved into.” , Tseng told AFP in a direct message on December 20.

AFP has previously debunked posts misrepresenting Tseng’s art, which often allude to American social and political issues such as gun control, climate change and reproductive rights (archived here).

A technical advisor for Bluesky also responded to a message on the signs stating that the platform was not involved in the campaign (archived here).

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey created Bluesky in 2019 as a “decentralized” version of the former social networking site, allowing users to store data on servers. business does not own.

Dorsey left Bluesky’s board in May 2024 and urged users to stay on X. CEO Julia Graber runs Bluesky as a public utility. corporation (archived here).

AFP contacted Bluesky for additional comment, but no response was received.

More AFP reporting on disinformation in the United States is available here.