Bluesky has halted access to its platform in Mississippi, choosing to stand against a newly-enacted state law that compels online services to verify the age and identity of every user before granting access.
The company argues that the legislation not only threatens individual privacy but also risks eroding the foundations of online anonymity and freedom of expression.
Mississippi’s HB 1126 requires all users, regardless of what content they intend to access, to undergo age verification and, in the case of minors, provide parental consent.
More: The Digital ID and Online Age Verification Agenda
The law imposes significant penalties for noncompliance, with fines that could reach $10,000 per user. For Bluesky, a small team working on decentralized, privacy-focused social technology, these demands represent more than just a logistical burden.
“The Supreme Court’s recent decision leaves us facing a hard reality: comply with Mississippi’s age assurance law—and make every Mississippi Bluesky user hand over sensitive personal information and undergo age checks to access the site—or risk massive fines,” the company said in a statement.
“The law would also require us to identify and track which users are children, unlike our approach in other regions.”
Bluesky warned that the implications of this law extend well beyond child safety.
By forcing identity verification for every user, the state has essentially enacted a digital ID system that undermines the ability to engage online without being monitored. “We think this law creates challenges that go beyond its child safety goals, and creates significant barriers that limit free speech and disproportionately harm smaller platforms and emerging technologies.”
While Bluesky reiterated its commitment to protecting younger users: “Keeping children safe online is a core priority for Bluesky.” It also pointed out that effective safety tools don’t require sacrificing basic digital rights.
Such blanket mandates not only threaten personal privacy but make anonymous participation in public discourse nearly impossible.
Bluesky’s leadership noted that the law would force the platform to build a system that gathers and stores extensive personal data from every user, an approach at odds with the values that underpin decentralized technologies.
“Unlike tech giants with vast resources, we’re a small team focused on building decentralized social technology that puts users in control,” the company stated.
“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 warned that introducing identity checks across the board could chill free speech and suppress minority voices that rely on anonymity for safety. “We believe effective child safety policies should be carefully tailored to address real harms, without creating huge obstacles for smaller providers and resulting in negative consequences for free expression.”
Until the courts decide whether the law will stand, Bluesky is blocking access from Mississippi IP addresses. Visitors from the state will now see a notice explaining the temporary restriction.
This policy only affects the Bluesky app itself. Other applications built on the AT Protocol are free to make different choices. “We believe this flexibility is one of the strengths of decentralized systems—different providers can make decisions that align with their values and capabilities, especially during periods of regulatory uncertainty.”
