Co-founder and former CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey has officially stepped down from the board of Bluesky, a social media initiative he helped initiate. His departure marks a significant development for Bluesky, as Dorsey was one of its most prominent supporters.
Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey gestures while interacting with students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in New Delhi on November 12, 2018. - Dorsey hosted a town hall meeting with university students on his visit to the Indian capital New Delhi. (Photo by Prakash SINGH / AFP) (Photo : Photo by PRAKASH SINGH/AFP via Getty Images)
Facing Shake-Up as Jack Dorsey Exits Board
Over the weekend, Bluesky witnessed a noteworthy change as Jack Dorsey, a prominent advocate, stepped down from its board. Dorsey, known for backing the platform, used his philanthropic endeavor to provide updates on grants for open protocols via X.
This prompted inquiries about his position on the Bluesky board, to which Dorsey responded, "No." Despite further queries seeking clarification, Dorsey did not provide additional details about his departure.
It seems that Dorsey quietly removed his Bluesky account sometime last year, which garnered minimal attention at the time and was only acknowledged through sporadic social media posts. He also deactivated his Instagram account.
Nonetheless, his presence remained synonymous with the project, signifying his significant involvement in its development. Dorsey has been notably active on X this weekend, sharing corporate updates and delving into various topics, such as the ongoing feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
Moreover, he made a notable gesture by unfollowing nearly all other accounts on the platform. He shared a message emphasizing the importance of defending rights through the use of freedom technology.
Uncertain Future for Bluesky
The timing of Dorsey's departure from the board remains uncertain. As of Sunday morning, Bluesky's corporate FAQ continued to list him as a board member. However, later that afternoon, the company issued a statement expressing gratitude to Jack for his contributions to funding and initiating the Bluesky project.
TechCrunch reported that Bluesky highlighted its current success as an open-source social network operating on Atproto, the decentralized protocol it has developed.
Following Jack's exit, Bluesky is actively seeking a new board member for its public benefit company, emphasizing the importance of finding someone who shares their vision of empowering users to control their social network experience.
In 2019, Dorsey initially unveiled Bluesky during his tenure as Twitter's CEO. At the time, he outlined Twitter's support for a small team of open-source architects, engineers, and designers to pioneer an open and decentralized social media standard.
Over time, Bluesky has evolved into an autonomous public benefit corporation, now helmed by CEO Jay Graber and bolstered by venture capital support. Its doors officially opened to the public in February, marking a significant milestone in its journey toward creating a more decentralized social media landscape.
