Latest Bluesky update fixes major verification issue

blue sky has released an update That solves a major problem that could lead to phishing on the decentralized social network. Now, when you verify your identity on the platform with your own domain, Bluesky will no longer release your old .bsky.social username. In the past, going through the authentication process will make your original .bsky.social name available again, meaning you’ll have to register again to secure your old username if you don’t want impersonators to get it.

The social network has been trying to fix its verification issues, which became a major problem after the service welcomed an influx of new users in recent months. An outside Cornell Tech entity that analyzed the app’s user base previously found that 44 percent of Bluesky’s 100 most followed accounts have a double. In response, Bluesky adopted a more aggressive phishing policy and required parody, satire, or fan accounts to be tagged as such in both their handles and bio by the end of November. It also explicitly prohibited identity shaking, in which users would start out as impersonators to gain followers and then change their identity to avoid coercive actions.

In addition to reserving your old handle, the updated Bluesky app adds a “Mentions” tab in notifications, making it much easier to find replies to your posts. As The edge notes, it also has a new button that lets you choose how responses are displayed, so you can choose to view them in a linear order or in threaded discussions.