Latest news with #ATmosphere
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Government censorship comes to Bluesky, but not its third-party apps ... yet
Government censorship has found its way to Bluesky, but there's currently a loophole thanks to how the social network is structured. Earlier this month, Bluesky restricted access to 72 accounts in Turkey at the request of Turkish governmental authorities, according to a recent report by the Freedom of Expression Association. As a result, people in Turkey can no longer see these accounts, and their reach is limited. The report indicates that 59 Bluesky accounts were blocked on the grounds of protecting "national security and public order." Bluesky also made another 13 accounts and at least one post invisible from Turkey. Given that many Turkish users migrated from X to Bluesky in the hopes of fleeing government censorship, Bluesky's bowing to the Turkish government's demands has raised questions among the community as to whether or not the social network is as open and decentralized as it claims to be. (Or whether it's "just like Twitter" after all.) However, Bluesky's technical underpinnings currently make bypassing these blocks easier than it would be on a network like X -- even if it's not quite as open as the alternative social network Mastodon, another decentralized X rival. A Mastodon user could move their account around to different servers to avoid censorship targeted at the original Mastodon instance (server) where they first made posts that attracted the censors. Users on the official Bluesky app can configure their moderation settings, but have no way to opt out of the moderation service Bluesky provides. This includes its use of geographic labelers, like the newly added Turkish moderation labeler that handles the censorship of accounts mandated by the Turkish government. (Laurens Hof has a great breakdown of how this all works in more technical detail here on The Fediverse Report.) Simply put, if you're on the official Bluesky app and Bluesky (the company) agrees to censor something, there's no way to opt out of this to see the hidden posts or accounts. Other third-party Bluesky apps, which make up the larger open social web known as the ATmosphere, don't have to follow these same rules. At least, not for now. Because Bluesky is built on top of the AT Protocol, third-party clients can create their own interfaces and views into Bluesky's content without applying the same moderation choices. Meanwhile, the censored accounts in question aren't banned from Bluesky infrastructure, like relays and PDSs (which others outside the company can run, too). Instead, the accounts are moderated by the geographic labelers at the client level. Currently, Bluesky doesn't require any third-party apps to use its geographic moderation labelers, which would force the apps to geolocate their users and then apply the appropriate regional restrictions. That means any app that doesn't implement the existing geographic labelers isn't censoring these blocked Turkish accounts. In other words, apps like Skeets, Ouranos, Skywalker, and others can currently be used to bypass Turkish censors. This "solution" comes with several caveats, unfortunately. The app developers' choice not to use geographic labelers isn't necessarily intentional. Adding the geographic labelers would be extra work on their part, and most have simply not bothered to implement them yet. In addition, these third-party apps have much smaller user bases than the official Bluesky app, which allows them to fly under the radar of government censors. That also makes decisions like this less of a concern for the app developers — at least for the time being. If these third-party apps grew popular enough, a government like Turkey's could also approach them and demand action. And if they failed to comply, they could risk their app being blocked in the country. (Several Bluesky app developers told us they won't worry about adding geographic labelers until Apple approaches them about a potential removal from the App Store, for instance.) Because avoiding labelers is seemingly not a permanent solution, one developer, Aviva Ruben, is building an alternative Bluesky client called that works differently. Here, users can choose to entirely disable Bluesky's official moderation service and labelers in favor of using other third-party labelers instead. Plus, the app allows users to configure their location manually in its settings -- an option that would let users avoid geolocation-based blocks and censorship. "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," Ruben said, referencing the need for alternative ways to access and view Bluesky's data. Though today's government censorship concerns are focused on Turkey, Bluesky's community has to prep for a future where any government, including the U.S., could request that the company hide posts beyond only those that are blatantly illegal, like CSAM. Ruben says would add a "no location" option to the app at this point, so users could choose to avoid all geographic labelers. Despite these possible loopholes, censorship has arrived at Bluesky. And considering the official app reaches the largest number of people, this is a notable evolution. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at
Forbes
02-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Blue Skies Ahead: Social Media's Quiet User Revolution
The Bluesky app logo appears on a smartphone with Bluesky visible in the background in this photo ... More illustration in Brussels, Belgium, on November 24, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images) In a digital landscape increasingly defined by user concerns over privacy and control, a quiet revolution is taking shape. Bluesky, once merely seen as another Twitter alternative, has evolved into something far more significant, the flagship application for an emerging ecosystem built on its AT Protocol with promises to fundamentally reshape our relationship with social media. With over 33 million users today, Bluesky's growth represents more than just another platform gaining traction. It embodies a broader movement toward what developers are calling an "open social web," a concept that puts users back in control of their digital identities and data while creating an ecosystem of interoperable apps designed to work together, rather than trapping users in isolated walled gardens. The AT Protocol (or atproto), developed by Bluesky Social PBC, is an open-source protocol for building social media applications that aims to enable user portability, interoperability, and algorithmic choice across different platforms. To be more specific, the AT Protocol: The recent ATmosphere conference in Seattle marked a milestone for this movement. Developers from dozens of applications built on the AT Protocol gathered to share innovations and discuss the future of a more decentralized, user-centric social internet devoted to putting users back in control over their data, as well as their algorithms and their overall online experience. This shift comes at a critical moment. According to recent data privacy statistics, 77% of Americans have little to no trust in social media leaders to take responsibility for data misuse, and 89% express substantial concern about how platforms gather information on children. The public is increasingly demanding alternatives to traditional social media models. What makes the AT Protocol approach distinctive is how it enables a diverse ecosystem of specialized applications that can all interoperate while respecting user data sovereignty. As the movement toward a more open social web grows, several platforms are emerging as pioneers in this space: The protocol itself continues to mature. Upcoming technical changes include support for the authentication standard OAuth, which will allow developers to create user accounts for their app's users on AT Protocol-based infrastructure, as well as provide tools for session management. For users, this means a future where they can sign into multiple applications with the same identity, take their data and social connections with them between apps, and maintain control over how their personal information is used. This movement represents an intentional counterbalance to what many see as problematic power dynamics in traditional social media. The ATmospher event featured speakers discussing 'taking the power away from the billionaire tech oligarchs, the 'Caesars,' as one viral T-shirt mocking Mark Zuckerberg alluded to; these tech CEOs now control the majority of our online experience.' Some of the core principles driving this movement include: For creators and influencers, the AT Protocol offers both promising opportunities and potential challenges. Unlike traditional platforms where algorithms and monetization methods are controlled by a single entity, decentralized social networks enable new ways for creators to connect with and monetize their audiences. Decentralized social media platforms often provide creators with revenue-generating options like token-based payments, NFTs, subscriptions, and various transaction fees. This allows creators to monetize their content directly without relying solely on advertising or platform-specific creator funds. The shift toward user control could also transform audience relationships. As creator economy experts have noted, today's fans want something a little less transactional and a little more human; they want connection beyond just consuming content. The community-centric approach of many decentralized platforms naturally aligns with this desire. However, the transition comes with potential downsides for established creators. Those who have built substantial followings and monetization streams on existing platforms may face challenges migrating their audiences. Additionally, while traditional social networks offer massive built-in audiences, newer decentralized platforms currently have smaller user bases. Perhaps the most significant shift will be in how value flows between creators and audiences. The Fediverse, which includes decentralized networks operating on open protocols like ActivityPub and platforms like Mastadon, offers creators greater control over their data, and increased flexibility, although monetization options are still developing. Some experts suggest that subscription models, NFTs, crowdfunding, and direct fan support will become primary income sources for creators rather than advertising-based revenue. The AT Protocol ecosystem seems well positioned to facilitate these models. For brands working with influencers, this shift will require adaptation. As noted in recent industry forecasts, "influencer marketing will be held to higher measurement standards" in 2025, and creators will increasingly scale their content beyond social media. Platforms built on open protocols like the AT Protocol could offer more transparent metrics and flexible partnership models. While the vision of a more open social web is compelling, significant challenges remain. Traditional platforms still command enormous user bases, established creator ecosystems, and substantial technical resources. Building sustainable business models for open protocol applications requires creativity and patience. Growing investor interest indicates the potential of this approach. Mark Cuban has expressed interest in funding TikTok alternatives built on the AT Protocol, noting that "when you build on the AT Protocol, it's extensible, so that means nobody can just buy it, nobody can just close it" TechCrunch. This movement recognizes that technical solutions alone aren't sufficient. Conference attendees were reminded that new technologies alone aren't the answer, there's a need for a whole ecosystem of support and funding for these efforts too. This acknowledges the social dimension of building alternatives to entrenched platforms. As we move further into 2025, the push for user control and data sovereignty continues to accelerate. Consumer demand for alternatives to Big Tech's social apps is growing, with open networks like Bluesky and Mastodon gaining traction with people looking to leave X, while others are building ban-proof TikTok alternatives on open protocols. The groundwork being laid by the AT Protocol ecosystem offers a compelling alternative vision where social media serves users rather than treating them as products. For businesses, content creators, and everyday users alike, this shift represents both a challenge and an opportunity to reimagine digital presence in a world where the balance of power is gradually but meaningfully shifting back toward the individual.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beyond Bluesky: These are the apps building social experiences on the AT Protocol
A year ago, Bluesky was opening up to the public and was known as one of the many X competitors that emerged after Elon Musk acquired the network formerly known as Twitter. Today, Bluesky's social network has grown to over 33 million users, while the technology it's built upon -- the AT Protocol (or ATProto for short) -- is being used to develop dozens more applications designed to work together as part of an open social web. The developers behind many of these apps attended the first conference dedicated to the AT Protocol, ATmosphere, held in Seattle last weekend. There, they learned what's ahead for ATProto, what challenges still need to be overcome, and what other things they'll need to think about as they build for this new social app ecosystem. Others attended online, watched the talks and presentations remotely, and participated in a growing Discord chat for community members. The ATProto community is working to rebuild Web 2.0, an earlier version of the social web that included social media websites, blogs, wikis, video- and photo-sharing sites, and other collaborative and hosted services. Except this time around, the apps are being built on open technology, not siloed into centralized services that tend to be operated by tech giants. Bluesky was the first of these services to emerge, but if the open social web movement has any staying power, it won't be the last. Below is a list of AT Protocol-based, consumer-facing apps that are either built on top of Bluesky or its underlying protocol, allowing users to take back control over their social networking experiences and personal data. Many of these are still in early development but showcase the potential for what's ahead in this expanding ecosystem. This is a work in progress! Apps are still being added. Feeling left out? Email sarahp@ (Note that this list is focused on consumer-facing apps people can use now, not small projects or dev tools.) Flashes is an Instagram alternative based on Berlin developer Sebastian Vogelsang's earlier app, Skeets, a Bluesky client. Launched publicly at the end of February, Flashes grabbed 30,000 downloads in its first 24 hours for offering a classic Instagram experience. Users can upload up to four photos or videos of up to 3 minutes in length, up from 1 minute previously, thanks to an update Bluesky released. The app offers photo filters, curated feeds from artists, custom feeds, and a Portfolio Mode where photographers can showcase their work. Spark (originally called Reelo) is a video-first app that is built on top of the AT Protocol, not just Bluesky. That allows the app to differentiate itself with a broader feature set that will include support for longer videos, filters, effects, a music library, and, eventually, livestreaming. Built by Seattle-based co-founders Victoria ('Tori') White and Reed Harmeyer, Skylight is built on top of Bluesky, offering features such as likes, follows, comments, and profile pages. Users can follow the app's active development on its co-founder's TikTok page as the team adds more features, including video support. The app is in testing on iOS and Android. Pinksky is another one of many apps trying to build an alternative to Instagram using ATProto. Built by developer Ramon Souza, the app is available on both iOS and Android and will focus mainly on photo-sharing, like classic Instagram did. The app offers similar features to Instagram, including user profiles, a feed of photos and videos, and a Stories section where posts remain visible for 24 hours. Bluescreen, also built by Vogelsang, is an upcoming app that will focus on videos posted to the Bluesky social network. The generically named Videos for Bluesky is another app built on top of Bluesky from 'MszPro,' aka Hoshida Takiyoshi, an indie Japanese developer. Like others, Videos for Bluesky lets you browse videos posted to the Bluesky social network by vertically scrolling in a TikTok-like user interface with familiar Like, Repost, and Reply buttons. Streamplace is the first livestreaming video service built on top of the AT Protocol. The service, which was recently used to livestream the ATmosphere conference in Seattle, offers a familiar streaming experience with support for high-quality videos, livestreaming, clips, and uploads. All the video content is also cryptographically signed by creators and respects their consent preferences. It is built on the same public key infrastructure as decentralized social networks. Founded by Eli Mallon, Streamplace was initially backed by his previous employer, Livepeer (another decentralized video platform), which operated a crypto treasury where funds are invested into other projects. That allowed him to get Streamplace off the ground. Now he sees potential in building out a technology that could appeal to creators like Twitch streamers, who would rather connect directly with fans through their own app or website instead of having to split their revenue with Twitch owner Amazon. Graze is a startup that lets you easily build, customize, publish, and manage Bluesky feeds and, eventually, monetize them with ads, sponsored posts, and subscriptions. The service is working with the Bluesky firehose, aka the Jetstream, which includes all the public posts on the social network. Flipboard's newest app, Surf, lets you build your own custom feeds from across the open web, including not only Bluesky but also Mastodon, RSS, and more. That means you can mix in news articles, blog posts, podcasts, and YouTube feeds into the custom feeds you build in Surf, alongside social posts. You can then use Surf to browse your feeds and others from the community across a range of topics and interests. Surf is still in private beta testing, but a signup list is available. A web-based, TweetDeck-like client for Bluesky, SkyFeed lets you create a dashboard of your feeds and profiles. However, most of its users come to SkyFeed because it also offers an easy way for even nondevelopers to build custom feeds based on lists or regexes. Germ's big idea is not just to offer an alternative to your phone messages, like Signal, but to build a social platform where you could discover and connect with others for any reason: marketplace exchanges, dating, social networking, and more. However, it would be one where you were in control of the data you were sharing and could stop that sharing at any time. Currently an end-to-end encrypted messenger that you can download from the App Store, Germ lets you build and share multiple identities. Plus, you can start chatting with someone on Germ even if they don't have the app installed, thanks to its use of Apple's App Clips technology. This allows you to have a lightweight app experience on your iPhone before you download the full application from the App Store. Germ was founded by writer and Stanford lecturer Tessa Brown (CEO) and former Apple privacy engineer Mark Xue (CTO). The team is now working on a Bluesky integration that would allow users to chat securely with their Bluesky friends. A peer-to-peer messaging app built on the AT Protocol, Roomy is similar in some ways to Discord but taps into open standards. For instance, ATProto is used for social discovery, while Automerge is used for peer-to-peer discovery. The app is backed by funding from Skyseed and is currently in alpha testing. You can log into Roomy with your Bluesky account and direct message other users to engage in chats. The messages are encrypted, but this is an experimental project and not audited, so be aware. Plus, some non-encrypted metadata shows who you were talking to but not the contents of those messages. (In other words, don't swap out Signal for Roomy yet.) Founded by former Stability AI engineer John Sabath, Dazzle offers a website that makes sense of the firehose of data from Bluesky and organizes it into categories, highlighting the trends across various topics. While much of the early discussion on Bluesky today leans political, Dazzle's site can help you find other topics and conversations taking place. Dazzle lets you give it instructions to tune the site to your own interests, too. You could ask it to show you a topic but without any posts featuring political discussions, for example. That means you could use Dazzle to show you local news, but not national politics, or you could keep your experience focused only on those who are posting with a positive sentiment. The idea is that you'll be able to switch between these different modes, generated using AI technology, without actually having to build custom feeds. Instead, you can just type in what you want to see (or not see) into a chat-like interface, then have Dazzle reconfigure itself to offer you posts that match whatever "vibe" you had just requested. Link aggregation service Sill lets you keep up with what everyone's talking about on alternative social media sites like Bluesky and Mastodon in one place. The service is similar to the older startup Nuzzel, which was acquired by Twitter as part of its deal for Scroll in 2021, then integrated into Twitter's app. Popular with news junkies, Nuzzel helped users keep track of what everyone on Twitter was talking about, reading, and resharing that day. Sill is also among the early adopters using Bluesky's OAuth for the AT Protocol instead of app passwords, making it easier to log in. Once connected, you'll see the most shared links across your services and the resulting conversations. A decentralized and federated link aggregator built on ATProto, Frontpage offers a simple interface for organizing and upvoting interesting posts and links being shared across the social network. It also supports commenting and notifications. Also by Vogelsang, Skeets is an alternative to Bluesky's main app that's optimized for accessibility and works well on both iPhone and iPad. Another TweetDeck-style web app, lets you fill your screen with columns featuring your Home feed, Notifications, custom feeds, lists, and more. The app also supports multiple accounts and the scheduling of posts. An event and RSVP management system, Smoke Signal is the Bluesky alternative to something like Eventbrite or Facebook Events. Built on top of ATProto, Smoke Signal supports OAuth, allowing users to discover communities and create and RSVP to events while also keeping hold of their own personal data. A Markdown blogging service for the AT Protocol, White Wind lets you use your ATProto account to log in, then write in Markdown. The service includes tools for uploading images, previewing your post, and more, with everything stored in your account's PDS (personal data service). When you post on Bluesky, those replies are included on your blog automatically. Largely a growth and analytics toolset for Bluesky, BlueSkyHunter also offers a way to tap into trends on the social network. One section in the app called Viral Posts showcases the more popular posts. This could help content planners pick up on trends and memes or find templates that are popular with other users that they could adopt. Fedica offers an online dashboard that allows you to compose and schedule posts across social networks, including Bluesky, Threads, X, Mastodon, and Pixelfed, among others. It also supports more traditional social apps like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube. Included in its plans are a variety of features for social listening, tools for tracking hashtags, keywords, and post reach, as well as those for follower analysis. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at
