Bluesky introduces algorithmic opt-out to prevent posts from appearing in Discover feed

New Algorithmic Opt-Out Feature

Bluesky has implemented a new feature that allows users to opt out of having their posts appear in the platform's main Discover feed. This functionality was introduced shortly after the platform added support for longer video content.

Control Over Discoverability

The primary purpose of this feature is to give users more control over the discoverability of their public posts. While posts remain public by default, the opt-out prevents them from being algorithmically surfaced to a wider audience beyond a user's direct followers. This addresses users who prefer to share content within their existing network rather than aiming for viral distribution.

Account-Level Setting

The opt-out preference is recorded at the account level, meaning it applies across different applications built on the AT Proto protocol, not just within the Bluesky app itself. Other applications using AT Proto will have access to this information, though they must choose whether to respect the user's preference.

Implementation Details

Users can activate this setting through the Privacy and Security section of the app. Bluesky states that the change may take up to an hour to fully propagate and take effect across the network.