Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on January 27, 2025, that it would cease to post on X and would use Bluesky instead.
“EMA will no longer post updates and content on X. We believe the X platform no longer suits our communication needs,”
The agency stated in a statement.
“After careful consideration, the Agency has decided to open an account on Bluesky.”
EMA is a decentralized instrument of the European Union tasked with the scientific evaluation, control and safety monitoring of medicines. Its offices are in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It was regularly the center of engagement during the COVID pandemic, as it settled on the use of vaccines in the European Union.
How does Bluesky differ from X in terms of data control?
Bluesky has seen tremendous growth and now boasts 25 million users as of January 2025. It is largely attributed to user dissatisfaction with X, particularly after the controversial policy changes under Elon Musk’s management, which led many to look for alternatives. Bluesky appeals because of its decentralized structure that gives users control over their data and privacy, a feature that resonates with people who are against the centralized approach by X.
Bluesky is a decentralized model on the AT Protocol, which enables users to personalize their content feeds and moderate their experiences. This is in contrast to X’s central system, which controls data and content moderation.
What other European institutions have shifted to BlueSky from X?
Several European institutions and organizations have reportedly moved from X (formerly Twitter) to Bluesky. The European Central Bank joined Bluesky on January 15, 2025, as a part of its social media presence diversification.
Transparency International EU has reportedly left X in November 2024 following the platform’s move away from some of its core values of transparency, integrity, and accountability. European Federation of Journalists, with nearly 300,000 journalists around the world, left X in December 2024.
