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European Central Bank Joins Bluesky, Rival to Elon Musk’s X

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The European Central Bank (ECB) has started posting on the Bluesky platform, a competitor to Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter. The ECB’s move to join Bluesky comes as Musk intensifies his political campaigning in Europe, including urging voters in Germany to support a far-right party. Bluesky is one of several platforms attempting to challenge X’s dominance following Musk’s acquisition of the site.

An ECB spokesperson explained that the central bank aims to diversify its social media presence and had started engaging with several new platforms last year, making Bluesky the latest addition. The ECB’s initial post on Bluesky included an interview with its chief economist, Philip Lane, which was also shared on X. The ECB plans to continue using X alongside its new presence on Bluesky.

Musk’s political influence on X has been controversial, with critics accusing the platform of enabling the spread of misinformation. Recently, Musk hosted the leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on X, an interaction that the European Commission has stated it will monitor for disinformation. Musk has also supported Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.

In contrast, the ECB, under President Christine Lagarde, has focused on issues like gender equality and climate change. Musk, a vocal critic of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, has also been outspoken against climate change efforts, supporting figures like former President Donald Trump, who has labeled climate change a hoax. Musk’s stance on the Federal Reserve has been similarly critical, calling the institution “absurdly overstaffed” and advocating for its dissolution.

Despite Bluesky’s recent growth, with 2.5 million new users added after Trump’s election, it remains much smaller than its competitors. Threads has around 252 million monthly active users, while X has approximately 317 million, according to Sensor Tower data. However, Bluesky has faced challenges with EU regulators, who criticized the platform last year for not providing essential details about its user base in the region.

 

Brazil Challenges Meta’s Hate Speech Policy Changes as Non-Compliant with Local Law

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Brazil’s government expressed “serious concern” on Tuesday over Meta Platforms’ recent changes to its hate speech policy, stating that the modifications do not align with the country’s legal framework. The announcement comes after Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, reduced restrictions on discussions surrounding sensitive issues such as immigration and gender identity and ended its fact-checking program in the United States.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had previously criticized Meta’s policy adjustments, calling them “extremely serious.” The Brazilian government has now demanded clarification from the social media giant on its plans. Facebook remains highly influential in Brazil, with approximately 100 million active users, making it one of Meta’s largest markets.

The government did not specify which aspects of Meta’s new policy might violate Brazilian law but warned that the changes could “create fertile ground” for legal breaches, particularly those protecting fundamental rights. Brazil’s legislation prohibits hate speech, including racial slurs and attacks on religious beliefs.

In response, Meta clarified in a letter to the Brazilian government that the recent changes to its fact-checking program were currently limited to the U.S. The company also stated that updates to its community standards primarily affected hate speech policies and were intended to promote greater freedom of expression.

However, Brazil’s Solicitor General’s Office (AGU) criticized Meta’s response, saying that the changes did not adequately comply with Brazil’s legislation or ensure the protection of citizens’ rights. The AGU emphasized that aspects of Meta’s revised hate speech policy, applicable to Brazil, raised “serious concerns.”

Brazil plans to hold a public hearing this week to discuss the implications of Meta’s policy changes with experts. The case recalls a similar instance last year when the Brazilian Supreme Court suspended X’s (formerly Twitter) operations for over a month due to non-compliance with court orders related to hate speech moderation. X’s owner, Elon Musk, initially condemned the court’s actions as censorship but ultimately complied with demands to reinstate operations in the country.

Brazil’s move highlights its commitment to regulating social media platforms and enforcing local laws to protect citizens from harmful content.

 

Updated Threads Algorithm Prioritizes Reduced Recommended Content for Users

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Meta’s microblogging platform, Threads, which serves as a competitor to X (formerly Twitter), is making significant changes to how users experience content. Starting Thursday, the platform will prioritize showing users more posts from accounts they follow while reducing the presence of recommended content. This adjustment aligns with Threads’ effort to provide a more personalized and follower-centric experience for its users. Although the platform already offers a “following feed” option, the primary view upon opening the app remains algorithm-based.

In a post shared on Threads, Instagram head Adam Mosseri elaborated on these updates, emphasizing the platform’s commitment to refining its ranking system. “We are rebalancing ranking to prioritize content from people you follow,” Mosseri explained. “This will mean less recommended content from accounts you don’t follow and more posts from the accounts you do starting today.” The move is expected to address feedback from users seeking greater control over their content preferences.

The change reflects a broader trend among social platforms striving to balance algorithmic recommendations with user-desired content. Threads’ focus on follower-driven posts could set it apart in the competitive microblogging landscape, especially as platforms like X continue to lean heavily on algorithmic feeds. By placing greater emphasis on posts from familiar accounts, Threads aims to foster a more engaging and trustworthy user experience.

As competition intensifies in the social media space, adjustments like these underscore the importance of catering to user preferences. Whether this strategy will draw more users to Threads or help retain its existing audience remains to be seen, but it signals a deliberate pivot towards a more community-focused approach. For users frustrated with algorithmic content overload, Threads’ latest update may be a welcome change.