More user control over content may make it more susceptible to scam posts.
Despite the social media platform only really gaining popularity over the past few months, a number of “inauthentic accounts” have been spotted on Bluesky promoting cryptocurrency.
According to research by Openmeasures, while not all crypto-related accounts on Bluesky engage in deceptive or click-baiting behaviour, some accounts tend to stand out for posting AI-generated images - or “AI-slop” to generate an active posting history - and link to malicious websites with promises of get-rich-quick crypto schemes or fake cryptocurrencies.
The researchers said that Bluesky offers more control to users over their platform experience, allowing them to customise content moderation preferences. Also, the platform’s open architecture allows anyone to build creative integrations.
“However, Bluesky’s open model might be making the platform more susceptible to these issues, at least in the short term, as the platform starts developing a significant user base,” researchers said.
“New users on Bluesky who have not yet used any of the custom content moderation tools on the platform are more likely to be exposed to fake crypto accounts.”
Written by
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with 25 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 17 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Forum, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and the National Cyber Security Show, and served as editor of SC Media UK, Infosecurity Magazine and IT Security Guru. He was also an analyst with 451 Research and a product marketing lead at Tenable.
