Bluesky COO Rose Wang criticized X and Facebook during a fireside chat at SXSW London on Monday, arguing that social media is “controlled by a few corporations” that “control speech all over the world.” Wang said Bluesky, a 40-person company that has grown to over 44 million users since its February 2024 public launch, drew many users fleeing X after the 2024 election, including journalists and scientists who wanted access to verified information. She said incumbents struggle to adapt because of their size, adding that “they're basically AI companies at this point.” Wang argued for giving users control over their own feeds and moderation rather than “relying on billionaires,” and pointed to Bluesky's newly launched AI tool, Attie, which helps users curate personalized feeds. She also criticized the standard content-moderation model as “very broken.”
