Social platform Bluesky is open-sourcing its moderation tool Ozone, allowing users to accurately choose how content on their timeline is moderated.
With the launch of Ozone, Bluesky allows individuals and teams to run their own independent audit services that can be integrated into the Bluesky application. Essentially, people will be able to install filters from these services, allowing Bluesky regulars to create customized feeds. This feature will be available in addition to Bluesky’s built-in moderation services and existing community guidelines, with each layer forming part of Bluesky’s “stackable approach” to moderation.
Users can customize exactly what they want to see as they scroll.
Credit: Blue Sky.
The app provides an example of a “Spider Shield” filter, which essentially means installing an audit filter that can protect people’s feeds from any spiders if they want to prevent that. Through these filters, you can also “recruit others” who want to filter similar content and build moderation tools together around any niche content.
Bluesky is officially open to everyone, no invitation code required
The tool is currently available on the desktop version of the app and will be rolled out to mobile devices soon. Ozone has been open sourced since yesterday, and the auditing tool can be enabled later this week.
“On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself,” reads the social platform’s blog post. “One team can never perfectly manage and manage the entire world, with its diverse backgrounds, cultures, and preferences. Therefore, we are excited to open up the ecosystem so that experts, developers, and users can deliver in addition to local context.” In addition to Bluesky’s review service, you can also subscribe to their own opinions.”
Bluesky has previously faced criticism from the community after some users with racial slurs in their usernames were allowed to sign up for the app. The Bluesky team told Mashable that as the number of platforms grew, the review team canceled these accounts and “continues to invest in review and support systems.”
Bluesky, a popular contender as an X/Twitter alternative, was once invitation-only but opened to everyone in February of this year. In November 2023, the app reached 2 million users, and its community has since grown to 5 million.
