Government Censorship on Bluesky: A Loophole Exists

Introduction

Government censorship has found its way into the social network Bluesky, but due to its structure, a loophole currently allows for bypassing these restrictions. Earlier this month, Bluesky restricted access to 72 accounts in Turkey at the request of the Turkish government, limiting their visibility and reach.

Background

The restriction was based on a report by the Freedom of Expression Association, indicating that 59 Bluesky accounts were blocked for "national security and public order" reasons, while 13 accounts and at least one post were made invisible from Turkey. This move has raised questions among the community about Bluesky’s claims of being an open and decentralized social network.

Technical Underpinnings

Bluesky’s technical infrastructure makes it easier to bypass these blocks compared to other networks like X. On Bluesky, users on the official app can configure moderation settings but cannot opt out of the moderation service, which includes geographic labelers. In contrast, a Mastodon user can move their account to different servers to avoid censorship.

Working Around Censorship

Other third-party Bluesky apps, part of the larger open social web known as the Atmosphere, don’t have to follow the same rules. These apps can create their own interfaces and views into Bluesky’s content without applying the same moderation choices. The censored accounts are not banned from Bluesky’s infrastructure, and third-party apps can choose not to use geographic moderation labelers.

Current Situation

Apps like Skeets, Ouranos, Deer.social, Skywalker, and others can currently be used to bypass Turkish censors. However, the app developers’ choice not to use geographic labelers may not be intentional, and they may implement them in the future. If these third-party apps grow in popularity, governments like Turkey’s could demand action, and the apps could risk being blocked in the country.

Alternative Solutions

Developer Aviva Ruben is building an alternative Bluesky client called Deer.social, which allows users to disable Bluesky’s official moderation service and labelers in favor of using other third-party labelers. The app also enables users to configure their location manually, avoiding geolocation-based blocks and censorship.

Future Concerns

Though current concerns focus on Turkey, Bluesky’s community must prepare for a future where any government could request hiding posts beyond those that are blatantly illegal. Ruben plans to add a "no location" option to Deer.social, allowing users to avoid all geographic labelers.

Conclusion

Despite possible loopholes, censorship has arrived on Bluesky, marking a notable evolution for the platform. The official app, reaching the largest number of people, is currently the primary point of censorship. However, the existence of third-party apps and alternative solutions provides a temporary workaround for users seeking to bypass these restrictions.