The New Continent

by Sascha Pallenberg October 22, 2025 (8 min read)

Autumn is coming… and not only outside, but also in my social media world. Yet again I’m at the point of leaving a platform. And this time it’s Bluesky – this once promising alternative to Twitter, that wanted to be a safe place for exchange, creativity and respectfulness. But what just happened there, is everything but that.

Translated from the German original available at https://www.metacheles.de/bluesky-der-traum-ist-vorbei/

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Bluesky – from safe haven to political pawn

Bluesky wanted to be different. More open, more decentralised, more human. A place without Trolls, without hate speech, without algorithmic manipulation. A network that would allow us to reconnect with each other again. But what became of it? A digital battleground for those who scream the loudest – and who have the least to say.

The decisive moment came when the Trump administration – yes, you read that right – the US government itself – discovered Bluesky as a projecting surface. Within a few days 30 accounts showed up, all of them verified, orchestrated, coordinated. And they didn’t come to have a conversation… but in order to provoke. To spread hate. To capture attention. And Bluesky left them to it… and in doing so, started digging their own grave.

Capitulation to the system

What happens here, is not a coincidence. It’s strategy. Social Media is no longer merely used by authoritarian systems – it’s being deliberately instrumentalised. What was once a free stage for the exchange of ideas has become a tool for propaganda today. And Bluesky has committed the same mistake as Twitter under Elon Musk: They believed (at least initially), that neutrality is strength. But those who tolerate hatred will inevitably loose control or be assimilated… The completely unhinged Tesla CEO isn’t just an example of this – historically speaking, he’s the absolute poster boy for this!

We’re experiencing the slow poisoning of that which was once a safe space for queer communities, for black lives matter, for progressive voices. When government agencies, who defame migrants, are allowed to post on a platform – under the cloak of ‘freedom of speech’ – then that platform is lost.

What many underestimate: Behind this orchestrated takeover lies a deliberate troll strategy. It’s no coincidence, no spontaneous wave of fans – it’s coordinated digital warfare.

Government-aligned communications consultants and former Trump-era social media operatives know exactly how to manufacture outrage. They’re using the same tactics that poisoned public discourse in 2016 and 2020: provoke en masse, wait for the backlash, then cast themselves as victims of “cancel culture”—and ultimately turn the platform into their own tool. Let’s not kid ourselves: if Bluesky actually enforced its community guidelines here, the FCC (or U.S. regulators) would come down on them like a ton of bricks.

The new Bluesky accounts aren’t random voices. They’re meticulously constructed, with clear missions: shaping narratives, shifting debates, and hijacking topics. And because Bluesky still believes decentralisation protects it from manipulation and takeover… hey, you’re about as decentralised as the biggest energy source we know: the sun!

Unmoderated and Unchecked

These accounts are operating with virtually no moderation. Why? Because Bluesky fears retaliation from the Trump regime. And so, they continue to systematically erode discourse by weaponizing Bluesky’s own mechanics—throwing the doors wide open for trolls and turning the platform against itself.

Big Tech’s Lackeys

Meanwhile, the same CEOs who once championed diversity and freedom are now applauding from the sidelines. Gates, Zuckerberg, Cook, Nadella—all at Trump’s White House dinner, all smiling, all nodding obediently. They’re not rebels anymore. They’re lackeys. And they know exactly what they’re doing. Power has a scent. Money has a taste. And influence? That’s the new religion.

The Internet’s Broken Promise

The internet used to be a place of free exchange—chatrooms, forums, IRC—a global experiment in equality. Now, it’s a controlled system of oligopolies. Facebook belongs to Meta, Twitter belongs to Musk, and Bluesky? It belongs to venture capital. Same game, different logo.

The Great Disappointment

I genuinely hoped Bluesky would be different. That it would learn from past mistakes. That it would understand what responsibility means. But now that government-affiliated accounts are trolling there with impunity, it’s clear: Bluesky has caved, too. And it’s no accident. The platform is being marked as an enemy by the Trump administration—while simultaneously being used as a tool to spread chaos. That’s not a contradiction. That’s strategy.

Bluesky wanted to build a community free from manipulation. Now, it’s part of the problem. And that’s bitter.

Back to the Fediverse

So I’m pulling the plug. My Bluesky account will stay up for a little while, but there won’t be any new posts. I’m out. Again. And this time, for good. I’m going back to the Fediverse. Back to Mastodon. Back to the nerds, the tinkerers, the idealists. Back to the people who talk about relevance, not reach. The ones who understand that decentralization isn’t nostalgia—it’s the future. That digital sovereignty isn’t a gimmick—it’s a survival strategy.

Yes, the Fediverse can be clunky, nerdy, and uncomfortable. But it’s ours. It’s not over-regulated, not capital-driven, not ruined by algorithms. It’s what social media was supposed to be: a network of people, not brands.

A Principled Farewell

I know some of you will roll your eyes. “He’s leaving another platform?” Maybe. But let’s be honest: Anyone who’s followed the past few years knows I’ve usually pulled the ripcord early—and in hindsight, I wasn’t entirely wrong. Twitter, Threads, Instagram—all the same. Commercial bubbles that toy with communities until nothing’s left.

Bluesky was an experiment. A brief one. And another reminder of how broken social media has become. When democracy is reduced to content, when hate is monetized, when platforms court governments, it’s time to walk away. I’m leaving. And this time, I’m doing it with a clear conscience and the conviction that every minute of personal effort and every user who converts will make the web a little better.

The web we once loved still lives where servers are run by people, not corporations. And that’s the Fediverse.