Bluesky, which promotes itself as an alternative to Elon Musk’s X, is blocking access to users in Mississippi instead of complying with the New Age Verification Act. The platform has earlier noted issues related to child pornography among its user base.
According to a report, Bluesky recently announced via a blog post that it would restrict Mississippi users’ access due to the state’s New Age Warranty Act, HB 1126. This law mandates age verification for all users before they can engage with the platform. Bluesky, citing its small team and limited resources, stated that it lacks the capability to implement the significant technical adjustments this law demands.
The company has raised concerns over the law’s broad scope and the privacy issues it could create. Unlike age verification laws such as the UK’s Online Safety Act, which mandates checks only for certain content, Mississippi’s law requires age verification to be done for all users. Hence, Bluesky must ascertain the age of each user and secure parental consent for anyone under 18. Failure to comply could result in penalties of up to $10,000 per user.
Bluesky has argued that the law exceeds its intended goal of child safety and establishes barriers that stifle free speech while disproportionately impacting smaller platforms and emerging technologies. To adhere to the law, the company would need to gather and retain sensitive information from all users, in addition to closely tracking minors. Curiously, the company had not raised concerns about free speech when hastily announcing its intent to follow European censorship rules.
Previously, there have been reports of Bluesky facing numerous complaints and censorship demands, as the platform has attracted radical left users dissatisfied with the relatively less-censored conservative voices on X. Users have also reported instances of child pornography.
Jay Graber, the 33-year-old CEO of Bluesky, acknowledged the challenges that accompany rapid growth. “As a team, we take pride in our ability to expand quickly,” she mentioned in an interview. “But there are always some growing pains.” Graber noted that despite being smaller than its competitors, the app is adding over 1 million new users daily.
Just days after a spike in user sign-ups, the Bluesky Safety team reported receiving 42,000 moderation alerts in just 24 hours, which is a stark contrast to the 360,000 total for the entire year of 2023. The company has admitted to receiving reports of “CSAM,” or child sexual abuse material.
