Bluesky, the social media platform known for its left leanings, is in the line of fire following suspension of US Vice-President JD Vance's account within moments of his joining and posting on it.
Vice-President Vance's brief tenure on BlueSky ending abruptly just twelve minutes after his initial post, has prompted many to question the network's moderation practices and stated principles.
'Hello Bluesky, I've been told this app has become the place to go for common sense political discussion and analysis,' Vance wrote in his first post on the X competitor. 'So I'm thrilled to be here to engage with all of you.'
Hello Bluesky, I've been told this app has become the place to go for common sense political discussion and analysis. So I'm thrilled to be here to engage with all of you.
— JD Vance (@jd-vance-1.bsky.social) 2025-06-18T20:49:56.916Z
Following this, the Vice-President commented on the Supreme Court's decision, which upheld Tennessee's limits on medical treatments for transgender minors. 'To that end, I found Justice [Clarence] Thomas's concurrence on medical care for transgender youth quite illuminating,' Vance wrote.
Vance also included a screenshot of the conservative justice's statement concurring with the 6-3 ruling. 'He argues that many of our so-called 'experts' have used bad arguments and substandard science to push experimental therapies on our youth,' he continued.
'I might add that many of those scientists are receiving substantial resources from big pharma to push these medicines on kids,' Vance continued. He concluded his post by asking, 'What do you think?'
Immediate Suspension and Reinstatement
An Axios journalist, Marc Caputo, reported that Vance's Bluesky account was suspended within 12 minutes of his post and his announcement on X that he had joined the platform. A message on Vance's Bluesky page confirmed this: ' Not found. Account has been suspended.'
Just set up my page on @bluesky, hope to see you guys there! pic.twitter.com/5cgjyMF8su
— JD Vance (@JDVance) June 18, 2025
Vance got banned on Bluesky within 12 minutes of announcing on X that he was there
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) June 18, 2025
Update: the ban appears to have been reversed
He had posted a thread supporting Justice Thomas’s concurrence in the Supreme Court case upholding Tennessee’s law restricting transgender therapies https://t.co/xUV5dK0ug2
This ban, however, was short-lived. Moments later, the Vice-President's account was restored. The Vice-President's post did not appear to transgress any of Bluesky's community guidelines.
Launched as a decentralised social media alternative after Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, Bluesky witnessed massive user growth. Its user base, which stood at 10 million in November 2024, soared to 30 million by May 2025, a surge noted by the Pew Research Center after President Trump's 2024 election win.
User Outcry Meets Platform's Defence
Many liberal-leaning X users migrated to the platform, seeking a more ideologically comfortable space. Comments on Vance's post revealed that many users were angered by his arrival.
One person's frustration was evident: 'Don't just block. Report the account and the posts.' Separately, another commented that they had 'reported' the Vice President's post 'for misinformation.' Bluesky countered that Vance's suspension stemmed from worries about an impersonator operating the account rather than anything he had written.
Bluesky's Official Explanation
'Vice President Vance's account was briefly flagged by our automated systems that try to detect impersonation attempts, which have targeted public figures like him in the past. The account was quickly restored and verified so people can easily confirm its authenticity,' a spokesperson for the company said. 'We welcome the Vice President to join the conversation on Bluesky.'
