Bluesky Blocks Mississippi Over Age Verification Law

Social networking startup Bluesky has decided to block access to its platform in Mississippi rather than comply with the state’s new age assurance law.

In a detailed blog post from Bluesky published on Friday, the company explained that as a small team, it lacks the resources to implement the substantial technical changes the law would require. Bluesky also raised concerns about the law’s broad scope and potential privacy risks.

Mississippi’s controversial HB 1126 online age verification law mandates that all users must undergo age checks before accessing social platforms like Bluesky. On Thursday, U.S. Supreme Court justices refused to pause the law, rejecting an emergency appeal filed by NetChoice that sought to block it while ongoing legal challenges played out.

As a result, Bluesky was forced to make a decision on how to respond.

Unlike laws that require verification only for age-restricted content, Mississippi’s HB 1126 law demands verification for all users. That means Bluesky would need to verify the age of every account holder and obtain parental consent for anyone under 18. The penalties for failing to comply are steep — up to $10,000 per user.

Bluesky argues that the law goes far beyond its intended goal of child safety, creating “significant barriers that limit free speech and disproportionately harm smaller platforms and emerging technologies.”

To comply, Bluesky would need to collect and store sensitive personal data from all users, including detailed information on minors. This approach differs from the U.K. Online Safety Act (OSA), which only requires checks for specific content and features. Under Mississippi’s law, no one can use the site without first handing over sensitive personal details.

“Unlike tech giants with vast resources, we’re a small team focused on building decentralized social technology that puts users in control,” Bluesky wrote in its Mississippi law announcement. “Age verification systems require substantial infrastructure and developer time investments, complex privacy protections, and ongoing compliance monitoring — costs that can easily overwhelm smaller providers. This dynamic entrenches existing big tech platforms while stifling the innovation and competition that benefits users.”

The company clarified that the restriction applies only to the Bluesky app built on the AT Protocol. Other apps built on the same protocol may choose different approaches.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe & share!