Bluesky takes a dig at Elon Musk's changed stance after acquiring Twitter, as Brazil lifts X ban

In a pointed jab at Elon Musk, Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform, has mocked Musk’s evolving stance on political neutrality after acquiring Twitter (now X). In a post on X, Bluesky shared a comparison between Musk’s earlier promises and his current actions, which many see as contradicting his claim of promoting free speech without bias.

The post featured two images: one from Musk’s 2022 tweet, in which he declared, “For Twitter to deserve public trust, it must be politically neutral,” and another of Musk celebrating at a rally for Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The caption read, “How it started vs. how it’s going”, followed by a pointed remark: “A truly neutral platform has to be on an open protocol… find that here,” along with a link to Bluesky’s app.

This not-so-subtle dig highlights Musk’s controversial decisions since taking over Twitter, decisions that critics argue have undermined his own claims about maintaining neutrality. His recent actions, like outright endorsing Trump, have drawn widespread criticism for skewing toward certain political ideologies—far from the balance he once claimed Twitter needed.

Bluesky’s jab seems especially timely as Musk faces continued global scrutiny over how he manages X. Brazil’s Supreme Court blocked X earlier this year after alleging that the platform refused to ban profiles spreading falsehoods about the 2022 Brazilian presidential election. Despite Musk’s initial defiance and the firing of X’s entire Brazilian team, it became clear that Musk would soon buckle under the pressure after Starlink complied with the ban. The platform eventually paid a hefty $5.1 million fine and agreed to appoint a local representative, fulfilling the court’s requirements to restore access.

Musk, a self-proclaimed “free-speech absolutist,” initially denounced Brazil’s Supreme Court as overreaching, calling its actions a threat to freedom of expression. However, with X’s 22 million Brazilian users and the significant market it represents, Musk’s reversal seemed inevitable.

In the meantime, Bluesky, which positions itself as a decentralized alternative to X, continues to make strides, capitalizing on the frustrations many users have with Musk’s platform. In fact, while X was unavailable in the country, most users fled to Bluesky itself. By taking another swipe at Musk, Bluesky has made it clear that its commitment to neutrality means building a platform that’s not subject to the whims of a single owner—no matter how loudly that owner once proclaimed his dedication to free speech.

As the dust settles in Brazil, the question remains: Can Musk’s X continue to uphold its global ambitions without compromising the principles Musk once vowed to defend?