Social networking startup Bluesky has decided to block access to its service in Mississippi, rather than comply with a new age assurance law. The company claims it lacks the resources to make substantial technical changes required by the law and raises concerns about its broad scope and privacy implications.
The law, HB 1126, requires platforms to introduce age verification for all users before accessing social networks like Bluesky. However, the law has a broader scope than initially expected, requiring age verification of every user and parental consent for those under 18. This would require Bluesky to collect sensitive information from all users, a task it believes is not feasible.
Bluesky notes that this law goes beyond child safety and could harm smaller platforms and emerging technologies by creating “significant barriers that limit free speech.” The company argues that age verification systems are costly and time-consuming, favoring larger tech giants. As a result, Bluesky has chosen to block access to its service in Mississippi to avoid the hefty penalties associated with noncompliance.
While some users outside Mississippi have reported issues accessing the service due to cell provider routing, CTO Paul Frazee has confirmed that the company is working on an update to address this issue. It’s unclear how other Bluesky apps will handle the situation differently.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/24/bluesky-blocks-service-in-mississippi-over-age-assurance-law