Vice President JD Vance faced a brief suspension on Bluesky, sparking a debate about free speech and political bias on social media platforms. The suspension happened shortly after Vance joined the platform and shared his support for a Supreme Court decision regarding transgender healthcare restrictions.
Vance Faces Quick Suspension on Bluesky
Vice President JD Vance’s Blaze account was suspended shortly after he announced its activation. Vance, a known advocate for online free speech, first announced his presence on Bluesky via his X profile.
BREAKING: Left-wing social media platform Bluesky has suspended Vice President JD Vance’s official account within minutes of him posting on the platform for the first time.
Vance promoted his Bluesky page on 𝕏 writing: “Just set up my page on Bluesky hope to see you guys… pic.twitter.com/vrBtjwjVD8
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) June 18, 2025
His account faced suspension a mere 12 minutes after his inaugural post praising Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s opinion on a case related to transgender medical treatments for minors. Bluesky, a competitor to X, soon reinstated his account, attributing the brief suspension to an automated system error.
Political Bias Allegations Emerge
The incident fueled ongoing discussions about political bias on social media platforms, with some users on Bluesky reportedly flagging Vance’s post as misinformation. Bluesky quickly clarified that the suspension was due to concerns over impersonation, not a violation of community guidelines.
No free speech on Bluesky =( https://t.co/c2Mdq0AnMx
— Dan Elton (@moreisdifferent) June 18, 2025
Vance’s reinstatement came with a verification badge, but the episode cast a spotlight on the challenges social media platforms face in moderating content while maintaining political neutrality. Critics argue that platforms like Bluesky need better measures to differentiate between genuine posts and those deemed harmful.
Free Speech Advocacy Highlighted
JD Vance has consistently championed free speech and criticized social media platforms for allegedly suppressing conservative voices. “Hello Bluesky, I’ve been told this app has become the place to go for common sense political discussion and analysis. So I’m thrilled to be here to engage with all of you,” Vance initially stated.
“Vice President Vance’s account was briefly flagged by our automated systems that try to detect impersonation attempts which have targeted public figures like him in the past. The account was quickly restored and verified so people can easily confirm its authenticity. We welcome the Vice President to join the conversation on Bluesky.” – Bluesky spokesperson
Although Vance’s account has been restored, the debate over free speech on social media remains significant. The incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing tension between platform moderation policies and users’ rights to express their political views.
Sources:
VP JD Vance’s new Bluesky account ‘suspended’ just 10 minutes after launch – The Mirror
JD Vance gets suspended from X competitor Bluesky – just 12 minutes after first post