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Bluesky CEO says there are no plans to introduce advertising
The chief executive of social network Bluesky, whose popularity has exploded in recent weeks, was unable to give the exact age limit for the platform's users in an interview with the BBC.
Jay Graber incorrectly said you had to be 18 to use Bluesky, when the actual age limit is 13.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Breakfast show, Ms Graber also said the company had chosen not to verify the age of its users on the platform, with concerns over how this data would then be processed.
Millions of people have signed up to the app since the US election results, some to protest the role played by X, formerly Twitter, in propelling Donald Trump to victory.
Ms. Graber attributed the rapid growth to the “really great” experience users had on Bluesky.
“There is no harassment, bots, spam and many other problems that plague other platforms,” she said.
13 or 18 years old?
Regarding age verification, Ms Graber told the BBC that Bluesky “determines age” when users sign up, by asking people to enter their date of birth.
When asked directly what the age limit was on Bluesky, Ms. Graber replied: “When you sign up – I'll have to check – I think it's like 18 and up.”
Following the interview, Bluesky contacted the BBC to clarify that the minimum age is 13, not 18. They added that there are additional settings in the app to ensure content is safe for children.
In a wide-ranging interview with presenter Rick Edwards, she said Bluesky doesn't try to verify user identity, to make sure people aren't lying when signing up.
She said: “We don't take IDs or anything like that. I know it's offered in some places. It's very private information.
“I think companies like us would want to make sure that we treat private user data very responsibly.”
Ms Graber also said that moderation on the platform came from a mix of human moderators and automated technology, and that they had no plans to introduce “traditional advertising”.
One option considered, she said, was to earn money through subscriptions for users who want additional features on their accounts.
Electoral defection
Bluesky was developed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and visually resembles what X looked at during the Twitter days.
Mr Dorsey is no longer part of the team behind the platform, having left the board in May last year, and the platform has seen a surge in signups since the US election results.
Elon Musk, owner of X, was one of Donald Trump's main supporters during his campaign.
He will also be heavily involved in the presidential administration after being named co-head of the new administration's Department of Government Effectiveness.
Political divisions have led some people to leave X in protest since the election, and Bluesky appears to have benefited.
In September, the company said it had nine million users. This week, it exceeded 20 million.
However, this remains far behind X, as well as Threads, a rival platform created by Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer said this week he had “no plans” to join the social media platform.
The Prime Minister told reporters that “at the moment” no steps were being taken to establish official UK government accounts or a personal account in his name.
He said it was “important for a government” to be able to communicate with “as many people as possible”.
X does not share the total number of users, but it is estimated to be measured in the hundreds of millions. Mr. Musk himself has 205 million followers on his account.
