Flashspoter - X and Bluesky are back in the spotlight after each platform took different steps in managing new user experiences and verified account policies. These two developments show how large and alternative social media continue to experiment with content curation, community control, as well as their position in the global social networking ecosystem.
X revealed a new feature called Starterpacks which is expected to be available for everyone within a couple of weeks. In essence, it is a selection of accounts that are related to each other and that each new user will be recommended to follow, according to their preference and location. With such a way, the platform intends to ease the process of acquiring knowledge for new users, especially the very first ones.
The idea of Starterpacks has existed before. In 2024, Bluesky first launched a similar feature with the same name. The difference lies in the curation mechanism. On Bluesky, regular users can create their own Starter packs with a maximum limit of 50 accounts, and then share them publicly or directly with new users, even via QR code. This Model assigns a significant role to the community in deciding which accounts are worth recommending.
While Y takes the decentralized route, X chooses a centralized one. The company builds its own list of Starterpacks by niche and country, targeting accounts assumed to be active and relevant. In other words, curation is done directly by X's internal team, not by users. This strategy aligns with X's character as a large-scale platform that relies on editorial and internal algorithms to drive the user experience.
The phenomenon of feature impersonation also occurs on other platforms. Threads a platform under Meta, is rolling out a Starter Packs concept in late 2024 which will involve showing a set of recommended accounts in the feeds of new users. In 2025, Mastodon is going to implement a similar feature. However, it stays true to the decentralization principle by letting users decide if their accounts should be included in the recommendation list or not.
While X focuses on user acquisition and retention through account curation, Bluesky faces a different dynamic regarding government account verification and acceptance policies. After getting a verification badge, the ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) official account was among the top blocked accounts on Bluesky in recent days. Data from third-party trackers reveal that the account is currently ranked third among the most frequently blocked accounts on the platform and the frequency of blocks is still increasing.
It's a fact that previously Bluesky was a platform for users who are looking for alternatives to mainstream social media channels. Hence, the appearance and verification of the US government account caused a huge revolt from the community. A lot of users are posting detailed instructions on how to block US government accounts or subscribing to blocklists containing various official US government accounts.
Data shows that ICE accounts on Bluesky were created on November 26, 2025, later than other U.S. government accounts that joined in October of the same year. Those accounts, including the White House and a number of federal departments, also made the list of most blocked accounts. At the moment, the White House is still the 2nd account in the ranking, only the US Vice President's account is ahead of it, according to statistics from the Clearsky website that uses the Bluesky API.
Bluesky's decision to verify ICE marks an important shift. The Platform draws closer to other major social media practices, in which government accounts are treated as legitimate official entities, regardless of community response. This is in contrast to the early ethos of fediverse, a decentralized social networking ecosystem like Mastodon and Pixelfed, where communities and server operators have more control over the visibility and distribution of specific accounts.
In fediverse, government accounts can be blocked not only by individuals, but also by entire servers, so their reach can be significantly limited. It is this approach that has led some government agencies to choose centralized or semi-decentralized platforms over Mastodons.
The tension between Bluesky and fediverse is also evident from the decisions of a number of important figures to limit or stop cross-platform connections. Bridge technologies such as Bridgy Fed do allow accounts on different networks to connect to each other, but differences in decentralized philosophies make this integration not always acceptable to all parties.
Both issues, the release of Starterpacks on X and the ICE account verification fiasco on Bluesky, are snapshots of the ongoing evolution of social media. Major platforms are all about growth and making it easier for new users to join, whereas smaller platforms still try to find a happy medium between transparency, community ruler, and the challenge of turning into social media giants.
Sources: Engadget, TechCrunch
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