The U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez becomes the first Bluesky user to reach one million followers.
The congresswoman from the Bronx and Queens has been active on Bluesky since early 2023. Since the elections in the United States, many users have started to join this decentralized platform.
On Monday, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) became the first person to reach one million followers on Bluesky. This decentralized platform has seen a remarkable increase in adoption since the elections in the United States, with its user base tripling in just three months. AOC commented on users leaving Twitter in a recent post, stating that "people are leaving Twitter because it’s no longer fun, and no one is obligated to stay on a platform they don’t enjoy. It’s not rocket science."
AOC has been active on Bluesky long before the post-election user surge, having made 437 posts since joining in April 2023. Her profile describes her as "Former bartender turned Congresswoman for the Bronx and Queens. Elected by popular vote, backed by small donations. A better world is possible."
In terms of popularity, the largest account on the platform remains Bluesky itself, with nearly 17 million followers. However, AOC leads in individual followers, reaching 1,032,729 users, followed by George Takei with 862,646 and Mark Hamill with 797,541. This suggests that being associated with a famous franchise like “Star…” and sharing witty, sharp, and socially conscious opinions has its rewards.
In the realm of publications, The Onion is the most followed with 769,718, followed by The New York Times with 762,499, which perhaps indicates that satire has become one of the most reliable sources of news today.
