Open-Source Video App Skylight Hits 380K Users

When TikTok's ownership changed hands last week, thousands of users went searching for something different. They found Skylight, a video app that puts creators back in charge.

The platform crossed 380,000 users this month, with 20,000 joining over a single weekend. Launched last year by CEO Tori White and CTO Reed Harmeyer, Skylight runs on open-source technology that prevents any single person from controlling what appears in your feed.

The numbers tell a story of rapid growth. Users played 1.4 million videos in a single day, triple the previous rate. Video uploads jumped over 100%, while returning users increased by more than 50%.

Skylight works like other short-form video apps, with editing tools, profiles, likes, and comments. But it's built on the AT Protocol, the same technology powering Bluesky, which means the platform stays transparent and customizable. Over 150,000 videos now live on Skylight, and it can stream content from Bluesky too.

Mark Cuban and other investors backed the startup because they saw potential in its different approach. The app offers community curators who create custom feeds, giving users choices about what they watch instead of relying on a mysterious algorithm.

The timing worked in Skylight's favor. TikTok's new ownership structure sparked concerns among users, especially when an updated privacy policy mentioned tracking GPS coordinates and immigration status. While that language wasn't entirely new, it pushed some people to explore alternatives.

The Ripple Effect

Skylight's growth shows something bigger than one app's success. It demonstrates that people want social media they can trust, built on technology anyone can examine and verify.

White and Harmeyer designed their platform so creator power becomes a technical guarantee, not just a corporate promise. When algorithms stay open and customizable, users know exactly how their feed gets filled.

TikTok still dominates with 200 million monthly U.S. users, but Skylight's 95,000 monthly active users this January prove there's appetite for alternatives. The app's community-driven approach gives creators direct connections to their followers without algorithmic interference.

Other platforms may promise transparency, but Skylight bakes it into the code itself. That difference matters to users tired of wondering who controls their content and why certain videos appear while others vanish.

The founders believe open standards create healthier platforms where creators and users hold real power. Their technology makes those rights permanent, written into the system's foundation rather than subject to policy changes.

A more transparent social media landscape is emerging, one download at a time.