In a significant shift, the decentralized social media platform Bluesky has begun complying with government censorship, blocking 72 accounts in Turkey after official requests. The move has sparked concern among users who migrated to the platform to escape growing content restrictions on X (formerly Twitter).
According to Turkey’s Freedom of Expression Association, 59 of the blocked accounts were censored for “national security and public order” reasons, with an additional 13 accounts and one post made invisible to users in the country.
Decentralized but Not Fully Free?
Bluesky, built on the open-source AT Protocol, touts itself as a decentralized alternative to legacy platforms. However, the official Bluesky app enforces geographic moderation using built-in labelers — meaning Turkish users can’t view restricted accounts unless they switch apps.
This has led many to question how “open” Bluesky really is. While users can control moderation settings, there’s currently no option to completely disable moderation within the official app.
Workarounds via Third-Party Clients
Fortunately, alternative Bluesky apps — including Skeets, Skywalker, Deer.social, and Ouranos — don’t yet enforce the same censorship rules. These third-party clients, which tap into the same data through the AT Protocol, allow users to access the blocked accounts, at least for now.
These apps haven’t implemented the geographic labelers that Bluesky’s official app uses, primarily due to development bandwidth or the absence of government pressure. However, as these apps grow in popularity, they may face the same regulatory challenges.
Deer.social Offers Manual Moderation Control
One developer, Aviva Ruben, is taking a proactive approach with Deer.social, a new Bluesky client that allows users to fully disable Bluesky’s moderation service. The app lets users choose their own third-party labelers or even configure their location settings to bypass regional blocks.
Ruben emphasized the importance of preparing for future government interference:
“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 AppViews.”
A Growing Global Concern
Although current censorship is focused on Turkey, Bluesky’s infrastructure and decisions set a precedent. As the platform expands, other governments may request similar controls, and the company’s ability to resist could be tested further.
For now, the decentralized structure of Bluesky gives users a temporary reprieve — but the question remains: how long will that freedom last?https://www.tiktok.com/@decoderpod/video/7350743838354378027
