Bluesky, a social network claiming to be open and decentralized, has censored several accounts in Turkey at the request of government authorities. The platform’s moderation service, which uses geographic labelers to restrict content, has raised concerns among users about its true level of openness.
The Freedom of Expression Association reported that 72 Bluesky accounts were restricted due to national security and public order concerns. However, a loophole exists for users who join third-party apps, known as the Atmosphere, which are not bound by the same moderation rules.
These alternative apps, such as Skeets and Ouranos, allow users to bypass Turkish censors without implementing geographic labelers. The app developers have chosen not to use these labelers due to extra work involved, but their smaller user bases make them less of a concern for government censors.
To address this issue, developer Aviva Ruben is building an alternative Bluesky client called Deer.social that allows users to disable the official moderation service and use alternative labelers. The app also includes manual location configuration options, which would enable users to avoid geolocation-based blocks and censorship.
As tensions rise over Turkish government censorship, Bluesky’s community must prepare for a future where any government could request content restrictions beyond those related to illicit activities. Despite these concerns, the company remains under scrutiny due to its recent actions in Turkey.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/23/government-censorship-comes-to-bluesky-but-not-its-third-party-apps-yet