Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform, has been gaining popularity, but its open API has raised concerns about user data privacy. While the open API allows developers to build new features and tools, it also opens the door for third-party access to user data.
According to a report from 404 Media recently, an AI researcher from Hugging Face collected one million public posts from Bluesky using its Firehose API. They uploaded the data to a public repository for machine learning research. After facing backlash, the researcher removed the dataset. However, this incident highlights an important point: everything you share publicly on the app is open to the world.
Bluesky acknowledged the situation and stated they’re exploring ways for users to signal consent preferences. While Bluesky is exploring ways to give users more control over their data, it's important to remember that ultimately, the responsibility lies with third-party developers to respect user privacy.
In a statement, Bluesky said: “They won’t be able to enforce this consent outside of our systems. It will be up to outside developers to respect these settings. We’re having ongoing conversations with engineers and lawyers and hope to share more updates soon.”
As Bluesky continues to grow, it will need to balance innovation with user privacy. The platform's success hinges on its ability to build trust with its users and ensure that their data is protected.