Bluesky Introduces New ‘Algorithmic Opt-Out’ Tool for Users Seeking to Avoid Viral Fame
Following yesterday’s update that allowed for longer video uploads, the open social platform Bluesky has rolled out a new feature enabling users to opt out of having their posts displayed in the main Discover feed of the app.
Currently, the algorithmic Discover feed can highlight any public post on Bluesky, as all posts are public by default on the platform.
It’s important to note that this new feature does not privatize posts—Bluesky is still in the process of developing support for private data at the protocol level. Instead, this option makes a user’s public content less visible to anyone outside their personal follower network.
According to the company, this feature was introduced because not all users wish to go viral; many prefer to share posts exclusively with their followers without reaching wider audiences.
Users can disable the visibility of their posts in the Discover feed by activating a new setting located in the app’s Privacy and Security options. The company mentions that it may take up to an hour for this change to become fully effective.
Additionally, it’s noteworthy that Bluesky’s implementation of this feature is not limited to its own platform.
This preference is associated with the user’s account rather than just the app, meaning that it remains intact even when a user posts via another application that utilizes the same underlying protocol, known as AT Proto.
However, while other applications can access this preference, they are not obligated to comply with it.
