Bluesky, a social networking startup, has blocked access to its services in Mississippi due to the state’s new age verification law, HB 1126. This law requires platforms to verify the age of all users and obtain parental consent for those under 18, which Bluesky claims exceeds the scope intended for child safety and could hinder free speech.
In a blog post, the company cited its small team and limited resources as barriers to implementing the substantial technical changes necessary for compliance, including the storage of sensitive user information. The law also poses a penalty of up to $10,000 per user for non-compliance.
Despite the law’s requirements, Bluesky noted that other countries, like the UK, have more nuanced age verification requirements, impacting only specific content rather than all users.
Some users outside Mississippi encountered access issues due to routing through servers in the state, prompting the company to implement location detection updates to address the problem.
Bluesky stated that the decision pertains only to its apps built on the AT protocol, while other applications may handle the situation differently.
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