On the evening of June 18, JD Vance, the vice president of the United States, created an account on the social media site Bluesky, but it was quickly suspended by the platform’s automated systems. Bluesky’s automated impersonation detection system flagged Vance’s account as a potential impostor, causing the brief suspension less than 30 minutes after his first post.
At 4:50 p.m. ET, Vance shared his initial message on Bluesky, expressing enthusiasm for joining a platform known for sensible political conversation and analysis. Bluesky restored and verified Vance’s account within 20 minutes, adding a verified badge to confirm its authenticity and welcomed him to the conversation.
The incident highlights challenges social media faces balancing automated moderation and user experience, while Vance criticized social media giants for censoring conservative voices.
