Bluesky is blocking links to an archive containing newly leaked records on more than 41,000 Department of Homeland Security employees and contractors, displaying a warning that the destination is “malicious.” The decision comes as researchers and journalists examine files that include names, contact details and information about internal DHS groups, including some connected to surveillance and covert operations.
Bluesky blocks links to DHS records
The file contained people’s email addresses and phone numbers and was “shared without their permission,” Bruski told WIRED. Bluesky’s community guidelines prohibit sharing personal information without consent. The company said it blocked the links instead of removing individual posts “to avoid limiting public discussion or limiting broad access to reporting and commentary.”
The DHS records were released Wednesday by the transparency nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets, also known as DDoSecrets. They list employee and contractor names, contact information and members of internal groups. In some cases, the records are linked to surveillance and covert operations.
According to WIRED’s investigation, the files illustrate how DHS is organized, from senior executives to individual immigration officials. They may also indicate which people have access to particular technologies.
When users try to open an archive through Bluesky’s website or app, they see a “Blocked Links” page. The warning says the URL has been identified as “malicious” and blocked for their safety. Bluesky did not respond to questions about whether the restriction was imposed automatically or whether a government agency had asked the company to limit access to the data.
The DDoSecrets home page is typically loaded from Bluesky. At least one third-party app, Klearsky, opens links to the DHS archives without displaying a warning.
Bluesky’s moderation policies
Bluesky promotes a decentralized approach to content management in which users can choose independent services to label and filter posts. Its current community guidelines prohibit sharing “home address, personal contact information, financial or medical data, or identification.”
A preview of the DHS leak analyzed by WIRED appeared to contain work-related contact information. One expert described the details as the kind of information that would be printed “on a business card.” The same guidelines explicitly protect “factual reporting” on matters of public interest, including issues “related to government transparency and public servants.”
Bluesky did not explain how the archive was classified as malicious or whether the restriction applies to every related URL. Because the network uses open protocols, external developers can build and operate their own Bluesky apps, which can apply different moderation labels and filtering rules.
Bluesky’s growth and decentralized app ecosystem
Bluesky began as a Twitter research project in 2019, later became independent and launched publicly in February 2024. By August of this year, registered accounts had reached 45 million. An estimated 10.4 million people used the mobile app in June.
Automattic founding CEO Toni Schneider has been running the company since co-founder Jay Graeber resigned in March. The network’s open protocols allow outside developers to create their own Bluesky apps and determine which moderation labels they apply.
DDoSecrets criticizes the restriction
DDoSecrets co-founder Emma Best said this was not the first time a social media platform had incorrectly labeled the organization’s website as malicious or tried to restrict access to its publications. Twitter suspended DDoSecrets’ account in 2020, before Elon Musk’s acquisition and rebranding of the platform.
Best argues that technology platforms often bow to government pressure but cannot prevent information from spreading. “You can’t stop the traffic lights,” they said.
A group calling itself the Ministry of Peace provided the archive, dubbed “Ice Pick,” to DDoSecrets and journalist Maia Arson Kleim. Crimew also built a searchable website for the records, which Bluesky has blocked on both its website and app.
X takes a different approach
At least one Bluesky competitor handled the archive differently. On X, Grok, a chatbot built by X’s parent company, pointed curious users toward Ice Pick. It described the site as a “clean, searchable web tool” and said the complete dataset could be downloaded from the DDoSecrets website or through a torrent.
X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Source: www.wired.com