Self-moderation in the decentralized era: decoding blocking behavior on Bluesky

TL;DR

This paper analyzes user blocking behavior on Bluesky, a decentralized social network, to understand how self-moderation can be effectively balanced with user autonomy in the absence of top-down moderation.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of user blocking behavior on Bluesky and introduces a robust framework for understanding moderation in decentralized social networks.

Findings

Blocking likelihood can be inferred from user activity features.

Certain behavioral patterns are strongly associated with being blocked.

The study offers insights into self-moderation dynamics in decentralized platforms.

Abstract

Moderation and blocking behavior, both closely related to the mitigation of abuse and misinformation on social platforms, are fundamental mechanisms for maintaining healthy online communities. However, while centralized platforms typically employ top-down moderation, decentralized networks rely on users to self-regulate through mechanisms like blocking actions to safeguard their online experience. Given the novelty of the decentralized paradigm, addressing self-moderation is critical for understanding how community safety and user autonomy can be effectively balanced. This study examines user blocking on Bluesky, a decentralized social networking platform, providing a comprehensive analysis of over three months of user activity through the lens of blocking behaviour. We define profiles based on 86 features that describe user activity, content characteristics, and network interactions, addressing two primary questions: (1) Is the likelihood of a user being blocked inferable from their online behavior? and (2) What behavioral features are associated with an increased likelihood of being blocked? Our findings offer valuable insights and contribute with a robust analytical framework to advance research in moderation on decentralized social networks.