Bluesky offers useful privacy rights, clear account deletion, transparency about public-by-design data, and says it does not sell personal data for targeted advertising. However, broad content licensing, unencrypted DMs, long/indefinite retention tied to legal and safety purposes, arbitration with class-action waiver, and limited deletion in a decentralized network make the service only moderately user-friendly.
Bluesky presents itself as a decentralized social network with relatively transparent policies and some meaningful user rights, but it also imposes standard platform protections. User posts remain owned by users, yet broad licenses apply, most activity is public by design, direct messages are unencrypted, disputes generally go to arbitration, and deletion may be incomplete across the wider AT Protocol network.
Points of interest
Direct messages are not end-to-end encrypted and may be accessed for trust and safety purposes. Users should not treat Bluesky DMs as highly confidential communications.
"Your Direct Messages... are unencrypted and can be accessed for Trust & Safety purposes."
Posts, profile, likes, follows, and blocks are public by design. This makes social graph and activity data broadly visible rather than private by default.
"This includes your posts, profile, likes, following, and blocks."
Even if you delete your account, copies of your content may remain on other services using the AT Protocol. In practice, deletion across the decentralized network may not be fully enforceable.
"complete deletion across the network may not always be possible."
Most disputes must go through a 60-day informal process and then binding individual arbitration instead of court. This usually makes it harder to bring claims publicly or use normal court procedures.
"you will resolve any dispute... through final and binding arbitration"
Users generally cannot participate in class or representative actions against Bluesky. That reduces leverage for small-value claims that are impractical to pursue individually.
"not as a plaintiff, class member, or representative in any purported class, collective, or representative proceeding"
Bluesky says it does not sell or share personal data for targeted advertising. That's a meaningful privacy-positive commitment compared with many social platforms.
"We do not sell or share Personal Data for the purpose of displaying advertisements... ('Targeted Advertising')."
Depending on location, users can request access, correction, deletion, portability, restriction, objection, and review of automated decisions. These are substantial privacy rights, especially for users in stronger-regulation jurisdictions.
"you may have the right to: Request Access to and Portability... Request Deletion... Request Restriction of or Object to our processing"
You keep ownership of what you post, but grant Bluesky a worldwide, royalty-free license to reproduce, adapt, distribute, display, moderate, and promote that content. This is broad enough to cover product use and marketing uses.
"you grant us a limited, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to... reproduce, modify, adapt, distribute, and publicly display your Content"
Bluesky keeps data while your account is active and may retain it longer for trust and safety, disputes, audits, legal compliance, and claims. The policy does not give firm deletion deadlines for many categories.
"We keep the Personal Data we collect for as long as you use the Bluesky App Services... There are also other reasons why we may keep personal information."
If something goes wrong, Bluesky's financial liability is generally limited to US$100, except in narrow cases like fraud, gross negligence causing death or personal injury, or non-waivable statutory rights.
"Bluesky's total cumulative liability... is limited to one hundred U.S. dollars (US$100)."
The terms explicitly say you can delete your account at any time in settings. A built-in deletion flow is more user-friendly than requiring manual support requests.
"You may terminate your Account at any time by using the account deletion option in your settings."
If your account is suspended or restricted, you can appeal using an in-app tool or email within two weeks. EU/EEA users also retain access to out-of-court review and local courts.
"you may appeal the decision using the in-app appeal tool or by emailing [email protected]"
Other Social services on AIgree
Compare Bluesky with…
The 7 clauses that actually matter, the red flags to watch for, in 5 minutes.
Report a problem with this summary
Spot something wrong, missing, or misleading? Tell us — we review every report.
Spot something wrong, missing, or misleading? Tell us — we review every report.
Thanks — your report was submitted and will be reviewed.
Documents
Terms of Service
source ↗- •You must be at least 13 and old enough under local law, and some features may require age verification to confirm you are an adult.
- •You need your own account, must keep login details secure, cannot share accounts, and are responsible for activity using your credentials.
- •You keep ownership of content you post, but give Bluesky a worldwide, royalty-free license to display, adapt, distribute, moderate, and promote it.
- •Deleted content may not fully disappear across the decentralized AT Protocol, and Bluesky is not responsible for copies kept by other services.
- •Bluesky uses automated tools and human review to moderate content, and you can report violations or appeal account restrictions within two weeks.
- •You can delete your account anytime, while Bluesky may suspend or terminate accounts for rule violations, legal requirements, or safety and platform risks.
- •Bluesky provides the service as-is, disclaims most warranties, is not responsible for third-party services or user content, and limits most liability to US$100.
- •You agree to indemnify Bluesky for claims and costs arising from your use, content, rule violations, or violations of others’ rights.
- •Most disputes require a 60-day informal process first, then binding individual arbitration instead of court, with class actions waived in most cases.
- •Bluesky may update these terms by posting changes and notifying you of material updates, and continued use means you accept the revised terms.
Privacy Policy
source ↗- •Bluesky collects account details, profile images, birth date, posts, direct messages, support communications, purchase information through payment processors, and device and usage data.
- •Your posts, profile, likes, follows, and blocks are public by design, and direct messages are stored unencrypted and may be accessed for trust and safety.
- •Bluesky uses cookies and similar technologies for necessary site functions, analytics, preferences, and improvement, and blocking them may limit access to parts of the service.
- •It uses personal data to run accounts, provide features, support users, improve services, research, prevent fraud, enforce policies, comply with law, and sometimes send marketing emails.
- •Bluesky may receive data from third parties, including developer apps and age-verification providers that may check ID, selfies, payment cards, phone numbers, or public records.
- •It shares data with service providers, business partners, affiliates, professional advisors, other users, third-party services you connect, legal authorities, and in corporate transactions.
- •Your data may be transferred and stored internationally, with legal safeguards used for transfers from the EEA, UK, Switzerland, and Brazil where required.
- •Depending on your location, you may request access, correction, deletion, portability, restriction, objection, consent withdrawal, and review of automated decisions, subject to legal exceptions.
- •Bluesky keeps personal data while your account is active and longer when needed for trust and safety, legal compliance, disputes, investigations, audits, or legal claims.
- •The service is not directed to children under 13, security is not guaranteed, and Bluesky says it does not sell personal data for targeted advertising.
