Bluesky Welcomes Tech Blogger Mike Masnick to Board of Directors

Bluesky, a decentralized social network that allows users to customize their algorithms and moderation services, announced the appointment of Mike Masnick to its board of directors on Monday. Masnick, the founder of the influential tech blog Techdirt, has been a guiding force behind Bluesky, particularly through his seminal paper “Protocols, not Platforms.” The company noted that Masnick has already been providing valuable advice, making his formal inclusion on the board a logical progression. Initially incubated within Twitter under Jack Dorsey, Bluesky has since established itself as an independent entity, having spun out from the platform now known as X under Elon Musk. The startup has made strides in its development, including a successful seed funding round last year and the launch of its first paid service aimed at assisting users in setting up custom domains on its decentralized platform. Despite Dorsey’s early support, he later criticized Bluesky for repeating mistakes made at Twitter, particularly regarding moderation challenges. Dorsey stepped down from Bluesky’s board in May to focus on Nostr, another decentralized network. With Masnick’s addition, Bluesky aims to enhance its governance as it continues to grow its user base, which now stands at six million. Bluesky CEO Jay Graber expressed enthusiasm about Masnick’s expertise, emphasizing the alignment of their visions for a more open internet. Masnick himself conveyed excitement about contributing to Bluesky’s mission of creating a better social network, reflecting on the progress the team has made in recent years.