Exploring the Pros and Cons of Departing from Elon Musk's X to Bluesky
Yesterday, a buddy of mine, a defense reporter in the Pacific, posed a straightforward query. "Do I genuinely need to commence employing Bluesky now?" I suggested it was time. Several individuals seem to share this sentiment. I've racked up thousands of followers on Bluesky over the past week, and early reports suggest that some 700,000 individuals have moved to the platform following the U.S. presidential election.
There was once a popular platform known as Twitter, which was both adored and detested by its users. Then, a tech magnate acquired it for $44 billion, transformed it into X, and eventually, it crumbled. As X, its value plummeted to a quarter of its original worth, yet generating income was never the objective. X served as the magnate's plaything, a website that made him feel good and amplified his message to the world.
Not long afterwards, the magnate aided in Donald Trump's re-election. He has not strayed from Trump's side since. As a result, X has seen a significant exodus of genuine users, while 4chan supporters have flocked to the site.
Many individuals chose to remain on X even after it stopped being enjoyable. I was one of them. I won't dispute that many will continue to utilize it. However, there are several reasons, beyond just the election, to finally bid farewell. And if you do decide to leave, what should you do with your account? Is deleting it sufficient?
The case for departure
The primary reason is that it's no longer enjoyable. After Elon Musk's acquisition of the site in 2022, there was a struggle for its soul. Ultimately, Musk emerged victorious. The internet is home to an evil and anarchic energy that flows through sites like 4chan and Gab. It's a blend of overt racism, disgusting imagery, and grotesque conspiracy theories. Every day, I see more of this on X.
I'm not the only one who has noticed this shift. As Charlie Warzel highlighted in The Atlantic, overtly racist and misogynistic content has exploded on X since Musk took control. The most surprising aspect of Warzel's piece was the comment from an extremism researcher that anti-Semitic content on 4chan has decreased as it has risen on X, suggesting that users are migrating out of the shadows and into a public space.
There are a couple of more practical reasons to abandon ship as well. In October, X changed its terms of service, and these new terms take effect on November 15. After the middle of the month, any content you post on the site will be consumed by Grok—X's AI system—and used for training data. There is no way to opt out of this. Moreover, your posts might also be utilized by third-party apps for training data. Once again, there is no way to opt out of this.
"You agree that this license includes the right for us to (i) analyze text and other information you provide and to otherwise promote and improve the Services, including, for example, for use with and training of our machine learning and artificial intelligence models, whether generative or another type; and (ii) to make Content submitted to or through the Services available to other companies, organizations or individuals, including, for example, for improving the Services and the syndication, broadcast, distribution, repost, promotion or publication of such Content on other media and services, subject to our terms and conditions for such Content use," the updated terms of service read.
November 15 is also the date when Texas assumes jurisdiction over legal disputes related to the social media site. "The laws of the State of Texas, excluding its choice of law provisions, will govern these Terms and any dispute that arises between you and us, notwithstanding any other agreement between you and us to the contrary," the site states.
Which court, specifically, will handle X-related disputes? According to the Terms, it will be the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Tarrant County. This court is located in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, which is quite distant from Musk's adopted home of Austin. It is also overseen by Judge Reed O'Connor, who happens to own around $50,000 in Tesla stock.
How to depart
The easiest action to take is to deactivate or delete your account. Regardless of what you choose, the first step is to remove the X app from your phone. Even if you decide to remain, for whatever reason, you should do this.
From the desktop site, click the three dots in the bottom left-hand corner. Click settings and privacy. From here, you can download an archive of your data. This is crucial if you wish to preserve any information you desire to retain. After downloading, select “your account” and then “deactivate your account.” You will be prompted to enter your X password, and then your account will become inactive.
This is the nuclear option. It's also not a decision I'm making. Instead, I plan to secure my account and abandon it. As a result of my work, I am required to maintain a presence on X, unfortunately. I cover national security matters, and a significant portion of this activity still takes place on X. Sometimes, CENTCOM will share a picture of a nuclear submarine to indicate that it has nukes in the Middle East, for example. Diplomacy between foreign countries continues to unfold on X. Politicians, especially those aligned with Trump, love to post strange messages on the platform.
I'm adamant about keeping possession of my previous handle or username, as I employed my real name, although I'm not an renowned journalist with a notable personal brand. The prospect of letting it go to the digital wilderness leaves me feeling uneasy.
Yet, this doesn't mean I have to engage in discussions or serve as training material for some fleeting AI company that Musk shares access to. At this moment, I'm observing a service named Tweet Sweeper erase my past posts and likes from the platform. It's not gratis, but a single operation is sufficient for me. I'm not planning to produce any additional content here.
Subsequent to that, I'll carry out the steps mentioned earlier, but cease short of deactivating my account. Instead, I'll merely secure it. To accomplish this, I'll navigate to “settings and privacy,” “privacy and safety” and then “audience, media and tagging” in the settings. A box there states “Secure your posts.” Following the deletions, I'll tap “secure your posts.” This will fortify my account. I'll lurk, but never post, and no new follower can interact with me.
New Destination
Threads is a no-go. Although it boasts over 200 million users, many are corporate accounts disseminating safe and sanitized content. Mastodon is like an elephant graveyard. Bluesky is thriving. Will it endure or degrade like every other social media site? Most likely.
However, right now, I'm enjoying profound conversations there. Nuclear Twitter migrated to Bluesky first. More defense and tech reporters emerge daily. Interaction on posts feels authentic in a manner that hasn't felt in years. People appreciate and share items I post there. It feels like I'm part of a community again.
It might not persist. It might not. And unfortunately, we shouldn't rely on any social media site forever. Cory Doctorow put it eloquently in an essay from November, explaining why he hasn't joined Bluesky. “I will never again commit my efforts into cultivating an audience on a platform whose management can sever my relationship with that audience at their discretion,” Doctorow stated.
When you dedicate time and energy into a platform and let it serve as a mediator between you and your audience, you grant it power. That power has never failed to be exploited. Bluesky's CEO Jay Graber, quoting Doctor, has vowed not to corrupt the site.
How long those promises will persist, remains to be seen. In a world where Trump can win a second term, I hold little hope for the future.
Also, if you join Bluesky, don't worry overmuch about the Alf beast. It will find you in due course.
The tech magnate's acquisition of Twitter and its subsequent transformation into X led to a significant rise in hostile content, including overt racism and misogyny. According to a comment from an extremism researcher, anti-Semitic content on 4chan has decreased as it has risen on X, suggesting a migration of users from the shadows to a public space.
As the future of X remains uncertain due to changes in its terms of service and jurisdiction, some are considering moving to alternative platforms like Bluesky. This platform, which has become popular among defense and tech reporters, offers a more authentic and engaging interaction on posts, making users feel like they are part of a community again.
