Bluesky will comply with age verification laws in South Dakota and Wyoming after exiting Mississippi

In a strategic shift after blocking its services in Mississippi due to stringent age verification laws, social media startup Bluesky is now embracing a more flexible approach to comply with regulations in South Dakota and Wyoming. Instead of imposing a blanket restriction on all users without verification, individuals in these states will have the option to confirm their ages through the Kids Web Services (KWS) system. This innovative service presents users with a variety of verification methods. These options may include using payment cards, presenting identity documents, undergoing anonymous facial scans for age estimation, or selecting from other alternatives. Notably, Bluesky is applying this same KWS service to meet the requirements of the U.K.'s Online Safety Act, which shares similar age verification mandates. In a blog post released on Wednesday, the company emphasized, "We believe this approach currently strikes the right balance. Bluesky will remain accessible to users in these states, and we will not need to restrict the app for everyone." Bluesky recognizes the necessity of protecting children online but has expressed concern over poorly designed laws, such as Mississippi's, which imposed overwhelming compliance burdens. The Mississippi law would have mandated that Bluesky verify the ages of all users, not just those seeking age-restricted content, and required parental consent for users under 18. With penalties reaching up to $10,000 per user, Bluesky's small team found it challenging to implement the extensive technical adjustments needed to comply, leading to their decision to withdraw from the state entirely and leaving larger competitors like Meta in a dominant position. In contrast, Bluesky views the regulations in South Dakota and Wyoming as a more balanced approach. The trend of expanding age verification laws is not isolated to the U.S.; it is a global phenomenon. However, in the absence of federal regulations, many states have enacted their own age verification laws, complicating the landscape for smaller social media platforms like Bluesky. Privacy advocates have raised alarms that these laws may heighten the risk of identity theft and are often intrusive.