On Monday, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) became the first individual to reach one million followers on Bluesky, a decentralized social platform. Since the U.S. election, Bluesky has experienced a significant increase in users, with its base tripling in just three months. AOC attributed this growth to dissatisfaction with other platforms, notably Elon Musk’s X, stating, “People are leaving Twitter because it’s not fun anymore and no one is obligated to be on a platform they don’t enjoy. It’s not rocket science.”
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AOC has been a consistent user of Bluesky, having made 437 posts since joining in April 2023. Her profile succinctly describes her journey: “Waitress turned Congresswoman for the Bronx and Queens. Grassroots elected, small-dollar supported. A better world is possible.”
Despite Bluesky’s own account boasting nearly 17 million followers at the time of this report, AOC stands out with 1,032,729 followers, making her the most followed individual on the platform. She is followed by George Takei, with 862,646 followers, and Mark Hamill, with 797,541, suggesting that a combination of celebrity status from “Star…” franchises and sharp, socially conscious commentary resonates well with Bluesky’s audience.
In terms of publications, The Onion leads with 769,718 followers, just ahead of The New York Times with 762,499, hinting that perhaps satire has become a favoured source of news in today’s landscape.
