Bluesky — the social media platform fueled by the AT Protocol — made a pretty important move recently. Access to 72 accounts was subsequently limited upon the request of Turkish government officials. This action comes as part of a broader trend of increasing government oversight over digital platforms, raising concerns about freedom of expression in the region.
The censorship request came from the Freedom of Expression Association, an organization that fights for civil liberties in Turkey. In fact, they care deeply about protecting individual rights. Bluesky sent notice in response to this request that they have blocked 59 accounts to comply, saying protection of “national security and public order” was necessary. The platform permanently hid an additional 13 accounts and at least one post from users in Turkey. This suit resulted in the real enforcement of all of these government censorship requirements.
Bluesky uses geographic labelers for content moderation, as seen in the recently added Turkish moderation labeler. These labelers play a key role in carrying out censorship of accounts as ordered by the Turkish government. The official Bluesky app implements the moderation guidelines across the board. Those third-party applications that connect to Bluesky, the so-called ATmosphere of Bluesky, are not restricted by the same rules.
This distinction is important because it adds an additional layer of nuance to the ecosystem of Bluesky. Users can now interact with popular third-party clients such as Skeets, Ouranos, Deer.social, and Skywalker to help circumvent Turkish government censorship. These platforms provide users the ability to access content that Bluesky’s official application has not yet figured out how to restrict.
In a promising turn of events, Deer.social is already working on an alternative Bluesky client with a “no location” feature. This feature aims to help users evade geographic labelers entirely, providing a tool for those looking to access unfiltered content.
Even given the current landscape, Bluesky’s community is still preemptively cautious of potential government action. The platform’s architecture is such that it enables any government – notably including the U.S. – to solicit such requests. They might require them to request Bluesky remove certain posts or accounts. In short, those censored accounts have not disappeared from Bluesky’s infrastructure. They are relays and personal data stores (PDSs) — geographic restrictions limit the visibility, however.
Aviva Ruben, a community member, expressed her concerns about the platform’s future:
“I like the current policy, but I do fear it will get more restrictive or change in the future–a great reason to continue pushing on alternative App Views.”
The situation in Turkey serves as a cautionary tale for social media companies navigating the delicate balance between government compliance and user freedom. Governments from the United States to South Korea are increasing pressure to curb harmful online content. Consequently, platforms like Bluesky will likely soon feel increasing pressure to implement similar prohibitions everywhere, even in the U.S.
To use the official Bluesky app, you have to agree to allow Bluesky to moderate on your behalf. For users seeking a more permanent, uncensored solution, there’s good news—third-party clients provide a much more flexible option. As these applications become popular and highly utilized, they come to light. They will soon be subject to the same government requests that are currently being sent to Bluesky.
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