Mayor Adams’ office ordered all city government agencies Thursday to set up accounts on BlueSky, a social media platform that has seen a marked uptick in new users since President-elect Donald Trump’s election.
BlueSky’s growth comes amid an exodus from X, formerly known as Twitter, amid concerns over far-right rhetoric and misinformation being amplified on the platform under billionaire Elon Musk’ ownership. Among those who have left X in recent days are The Guardian newspaper, Don Lemon and Jamie Lee Curtis.
But Adams’ office didn’t make any reference to there being a political reason behind Thursday’s move, and the city isn’t walking away from X at this time.
The main purpose of the move for now is to “limit the amount of parody/misinformation” that could arise from people setting up spoof BlueSky accounts in the names of city agencies, Adams’ office wrote in a government-wide email, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily News. Adams’ office said in the message that agencies should set up their BlueSky accounts “as soon as possible,” but not start posting on them yet.
“We’re working out some logistical questions … before we begin using the platform,” read the email.
“We’ll be back with more information,” the message added. “We’re figuring it out in real time, so I appreciate your patience as we work on it!”
Adams spokespeople didn’t immediately respond to emailed questions about whether the administration may eventually stop using X altogether.
A city government social media staffer, who spoke on condition his name and agency not be identified, said Thursday’s announcement came after a number of municipal employees had complained internally about staying on X in the wake of Trump’s election.
The day after Trump’s Nov. 5 election, more than 115,000 X users in the U.S. deactivated their accounts, the steepest one-day drop since Musk, a major Trump donor and surrogate, bought the platform in 2022.
At the same time, BlueSky announced Tuesday it has welcomed more than 1 million new users since Trump’s election.
The wave of X departures comes as Musk is expected to join Trump’s administration as co-chair of a new federal entity called “Department of Government Efficiency.”
Adams, a conservative Democrat who’s often at odds with members of his own party, praised Trump’s appointment of Musk on Wednesday.
“One of the people I think it was important to bring on board, some people may argue, is Elon Musk,” he said on PIX11. “We’re dealing with an antiquated government filled with bureaucracy, unwilling to make any changes.”