Bluesky is increasing its efforts to remove users who violate its rules. The company states it will do more to enforce its moderation policies to foster healthier conversations. This is part of a major update to the social media platform’s community guidelines.
These changes follow a period of public feedback in August, where Bluesky asked users to comment on a draft. The company received input from over 14,000 community members. It noted that it paid special attention to concerns about how the guidelines might affect creative expression and marginalized voices.
After considering the feedback, Bluesky announced a renewed focus on encouraging constructive dialogue and enforcing rules against harassment and toxic content. A key part of this plan is to increase enforcement actions. The company stated it will more quickly escalate penalties toward account restrictions. A Bluesky spokesperson clarified that users who break the rules will receive fewer warnings before their accounts are deactivated.
The platform also plans to make product changes that will clarify when content is likely to violate the community guidelines. This suggests users may see more warnings before posting problematic content.
The issue of who gets banned and why remains challenging for Bluesky, as it is for most social networks. For example, there have been recurring complaints that accounts fundraising for Palestinians in Gaza have been unfairly suspended.
More recently, many users criticized Bluesky’s decision to temporarily suspend horror writer Gretchen Felker-Martin due to her deleted comments about the shooting of Charlie Kirk. Writer Roxane Gay described Bluesky’s action, along with DC Comics’ cancellation of Felker-Martin’s comic book, as unacceptable, ridiculous, and an absolute shame. Felker-Martin responded to Bluesky’s announcement of the new guidelines by writing, “thanks this sucks.”
In addition to criticism from its more left-leaning users, Bluesky also faces ongoing complaints that it has become a liberal echo chamber.
The company’s blog post mentioned other upcoming product changes, including a “zen mode” for a calmer social media experience and prompts for more constructive conversations. The actual guidelines have been revised with more specific language and a new section about protected expression, such as journalism and education.
Since the announcement, much of the response on Bluesky has focused on guidelines that forbid sexual content involving non-consensual activity, even if the content is animated or illustrated. This follows recent backlash against gaming marketplaces that cracked down on adult content. One user complained that Bluesky should worry less about cartoon rights and more about the rights of real-life trans and Palestinian people. Another user suggested the language was standard boilerplate and that confusion arose from poor communication by Bluesky. A Bluesky spokesperson addressed this, stating there has been a misunderstanding and that the company has not changed its enforcement in this area and has no intention of doing so.