Unlock a New Era of Account Verification with Bluesky
Bluesky's Custom Domain Verification
Currently, the only way to verify an account on Bluesky is by adopting a custom domain name. This option was introduced by the company last year, allowing users to establish a clear identity. For instance, the account @nytimes.com on Bluesky belongs to the real The New York Times publication. By using custom domains, Bluesky ensures that users can be easily identified and trusted.Moreover, Bluesky directly addresses impersonation issues as they arise. This proactive approach helps maintain the integrity of the platform and protects users from false identities.Beyond Custom Domains: Multiple Verification Providers
Bluesky believes that custom domains may only be part of the solution for verification in the future. The company is considering a model where multiple verification providers coexist. As explained by CEO Jay Graber, "We could be a verification provider — and we might at some point (and also, no, I’m not sure when). But it would be something where you’re accessing through one app, and then there might be another app and there might be other services. And they can choose to trust us — the Bluesky team’s verification — or they could do their own. Or other people could do their own."This proposed system allows for greater diversity and flexibility in verification. Different entities can choose to verify users based on their own rules and policies. For example, a university could verify users as alumni, or a fan group like the Swifties could verify people as community members. These verification providers can be selective in who gets verified or offer more comprehensive services.Challenges in Presenting Multiple Verifications
The CEO acknowledged that one of the challenges is how to present multiple verifications to the end user without causing confusion. The company needs to figure out how these verifications would appear, perhaps as badges. It also needs to ensure that other third-party Bluesky apps display them in the same way as the company's official client."We’re trying to design long-term for more applications [and] more services, beyond our own, to operate," noted Graber. This shows Bluesky's commitment to creating a comprehensive verification system that can adapt to various needs.Growth and Future Plans
Bluesky's 20-person team has been working hard to keep up with the platform's growth spike. Since the U.S. presidential elections and other policy changes, users have been leaving Musk's X and joining Bluesky. In just a short period, Bluesky has added 8.7 million new users and now has over 22.7 million total users. This rapid growth has forced the company to focus on long-term plans.On the livestream, the team also discussed other long-term plans, such as designing Bluesky profiles to connect users to their broader web presence, similar to Linktree. However, due to the rapid growth, the company couldn't commit to a specific timeline for rolling out these features.In conclusion, Bluesky is poised to transform the way user account verification works. With its innovative approach and commitment to flexibility, it is likely to set a new standard in the digital world.Unraveling Spotify's API Access Limitations
Security and API Misuse
According to a Spotify spokesperson in an email to TechCrunch, these changes are aimed at curbing certain developers who have been misusing the API. By scraping data from the platform, some developers have been engaging in activities that potentially violate security protocols. The features being revoked access to, such as song and artist recommendations, provide valuable insights into the Spotify userbase's listening habits. This data, if misused, could lead to the creation of competitive AI music recommendation models, which Spotify has been developing itself in recent years.
For instance, the Audio Analysis feature that describes a track's structure and rhythm, as well as the Audio Features that reference different song characteristics like "danceability" and energy, are now off-limits to developers. This not only affects those building AI apps but also those with completely unrelated app ideas. One developer in the Spotify community forum expressed concern, stating, "With the advent of transformer models, there's probably a risk of people training new models to emulate Spotify's model(s). I really hope that's not the reason they're taking it down, but if it is, I'm just disappointed."
Impact on Developers
Beyond the obvious loss of access to specific features, developers who have more limited API access than official Spotify partners will be particularly affected. Those who have previously applied for an extension will still be able to use these API endpoints for now. However, it seems that Spotify did not provide prior warning about these changes, leaving many developers in the dark.
For example, some developers were using these features to create AI music recommendation services, which were providing unique value to users. Now, with the access cut off, their apps will lose a significant part of their functionality. Another developer pointed out, "Let's be real here, this isn't about security or user privacy. This is clearly about data being used for training AI models."
Spotify's AI Initiatives
In recent years, Spotify has been actively building AI music models. Its CEO, Daniel Ek, has emphasized the potential of AI for creativity in music. The company has released a few AI products based on these models, such as the AI DJ last year. Additionally, it has rolled out AI playlists to more users in countries like the United States, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.
Despite these efforts, the decision to restrict API access has raised questions about the company's approach. Will these restrictions hinder the growth of the developer ecosystem and the innovation it brings? Or will they ultimately lead to a more secure and sustainable platform?