ABC News has been mocked for all but abandoning free speech platform X for little-used far-left clone Bluesky, where it has just 1,300 followers.
The taxpayer-funded national broadcaster sparked derision on Monday when it posted to its 2.6 million X followers: “Not seeing as many ABC News updates here as you used to? Find us on Bluesky.”
ABC News made just two other posts on X, but posted 87 times on Bluesky, a controversial copy of Twitter that is exempt from Australia’s under-16s social media ban despite being infested with hardcore pornography and extreme-left political content.
X users responded to the post by making fun of the Bluesky account’s tiny following, which was just over 300 at the start of the day, and by saying it proved the ABC was no longer trying to hide its left-wing bias.
ABC’s target audience of… 385
your 1.3 billion dollar Australian state media 🥰 https://t.co/Cls4h48YAb pic.twitter.com/uNWbLLhbZD
— Chriscoveries (@Chriscoveries) May 18, 2026
DEFUND THE ABC NOW
The ABC has demonstrated time after time that is not a legitimate news service — it is a taxpayer-funded propaganda machine for leftist ideology.
What outrageous, stinking hide does this bloated broadcaster have to thumb its nose at 2.6 million Australians… pic.twitter.com/6A1sS0tALT
— Craig Kelly:🇦🇺Foundation for Economic Education (@craigkellyAFEE) May 18, 2026
They’re not even pretending to be balanced anymore. https://t.co/6WaOLGIPNJ
— John Macgowan (@john_macgowan) May 18, 2026
Imagine recieving billions in tax dollars and being this childish. ABC News has not been posting on X for 2 days, but has posted multiple news stories to a Bluesky audience of 1000. Activist employees need to be fired.
It’s also alleged Bluesky is a breeding ground for… pic.twitter.com/tvLStVVnus
— Rukshan Fernando (@therealrukshan) May 18, 2026
“ABC’s target audience of… 385. Your 1.3 billion dollar Australian state media,” wrote protest livestreamer Chriscoveries.
“Your taxes at work: 2.6m followers on X, 659 on Bluesky,” said former Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm.
“They’re not even pretending to be balanced anymore,” said Stream of Consciousness host John Macgowan.
“Imagine receiving billions in tax dollars and being this childish. ABC News has not been posting on X for 2 days, but has posted multiple news stories to a Bluesky audience of 1000. Activist employees need to be fired. It’s also alleged Bluesky is a breeding ground for paedophilia and child abuse material,” wrote Rebel News reporter Rukshan Fernando.
“Lol, the ABC directing its news service solely towards its core audience, rather than prioritising maximum public reach, confirms everything wrong with the purported ‘public broadcaster’,” wrote another Aussie.
Liberal senator Sarah Henderson told Sky News the ABC’s decision was “curious to say the least”, and questioned its impartiality in moving to a barely used platform that was “well known for favouring an activist left perspective”.
“The ABC is required to disseminate news and information impartially and should explain how publishing on Bluesky, an ideological echo chamber, is consistent with this obligation,” she said.
An ABC spokesperson said it had launched on Bluesky in April, and was following an X policy announced in 2023 when it removed all but four accounts, saying at the time it wanted to “focus our effort and resources on where our audiences are”.
Header image: The ABC News Bluesky account (Bluesky).
