Bluesky Complies With South Dakota, Wyoming Age Verification Laws—Here Are the Upcoming Changes

Bluesky is now applying several age verification measures on its platform in compliance with the latest laws passed by the states of South Dakota and Wyoming that focus on online safety.

Users located in both states are now subjected by law to age verification requirements before they can access several content and communication features on Bluesky.

Bluesky Complies with SD, WY Age Verification Laws

Bluesky announced that it is now placing age verification measures on its platform for users from South Dakota and Wyoming, particularly as these states recently passed age verification laws.

According to the company, they are imposing new requirements on users to verify their age on the platform, with users now needing to submit different kinds of eligible identification.

Bluesky would still be available for South Dakota and Wyoming's residents as their laws do not restrict underage users from creating accounts, which differentiates them from Mississippi's case.

In Mississippi, Bluesky chose to completely take down its service as the state requires all users to be verified users, and all unverified accounts would face access restrictions on websites or platforms.

Here's What to Expect From Bluesky Age Verification

Bluesky will restrict access to adult content and various DMs features if users do not undergo age verification.

The company is adopting the same policies on age verification enacted in its United Kingdom operations, which uses Epic Games' Kids Web Services (KWS) age verification program that offers multiple methods to fulfill the requirement.

Age Verification Policies on Social Media

Social media is both a powerful and dangerous tool as it could either be beneficial for its users or cause significant harm to them, especially for children below the legal age. Many states have passed social media laws that focus on children's online safety, with Texas among the first to do so after passing a law that would require kids to get their parental consent before they can access their accounts.

Each state has different takes on age verification and social media usage for kids, with Florida taking things to the next level by completely banning users under the age of 14 from using these platforms entirely. The law took effect in January, with children below 14 years old barred from creating accounts, and teenagers from 14 to 16 years old required to get parental consent.

More US states are following these new legislations and enacting age verification and social media usage laws for children.