Bluesky blocks Mississippi under new age verification law

Bluesky, a social media platform, has announced that it will block access from Mississippi IP addresses in response to a new state law, HB 1126, which requires age verification and parental consent for underage users. The company says the law would fundamentally change how users access Bluesky, requiring them to hand over sensitive information and forcing Bluesky to track which users are children. The decision comes despite the fact that similar laws in other states have been blocked by the courts as likely unconstitutional. While the Supreme Court has allowed age verification for explicit sexual content, there is no precedent for extending this to social media in general. Bluesky says the required verification systems and compliance infrastructure would be a significant burden on their small team, especially given the law's broad scope and privacy implications. Bluesky remains committed to child safety and building an open social ecosystem that protects users while preserving choice and innovation. The company will continue to monitor the situation as the legal challenges progress.