Observed Signal · Aug 27, 2026 · Product Launch · Source: techcrunch · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Privacy Market: Bluesky adds algorithmic opt-out for Discover feed
On August 27, 2026, Bluesky introduced an "algorithmic opt-out" feature that lets users stop their public posts from appearing in the app’s main Discover feed. The setting is toggled in the app’s Privacy and Security settings and can take up to an hour to propagate. The preference is stored at the account level so it travels with the user across other apps built on the same AT Proto protocol, though third-party apps must choose whether to respect it. The change does not make posts private; Bluesky is still working on protocol-level private data support. The feature follows Bluesky's recent addition of support for longer videos the day before.
Small, platform-level privacy feature that affects user discoverability on Bluesky and apps using AT Proto; limited reach and minimal impact on broader AdTech industry.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Bluesky introduced an "algorithmic opt-out" allowing users to prevent their posts from appearing in the Discover feed.
- The opt-out is available via a toggle in the app's Privacy and Security settings and can take up to an hour to take effect.
- The preference is recorded at the account level and travels with the user across apps using the AT Proto protocol, but third-party apps must decide whether to honor it.
- The change does not make posts private; Bluesky is still developing protocol-level private data support.
- Bluesky added support for longer (10-minute) videos the day before this announcement.
Connected Companies & Entities
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bsky.app
Decentralised consumer social network built on the AT Protocol.
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