Topics

Bluesky blocks service in Mississippi over age assurance law

Most Popular

OpenAI lawyers question Meta’s role in Elon Musk’s $97B takeover bid

Harvard dropouts to launch ‘always on’ AI smart glasses that listen and record every conversation

Google launches a new Pixel Journal app

Why Paradigm built a spreadsheet with an AI agent in every cell

HR giant Workday says hackers stole personal data in recent breach

How your solar rooftop became a national security issue

A comprehensive list of 2025 tech layoffs

Latest

Amazon

Apps

Biotech & Health

Climate

Cloud Computing

Commerce

Crypto

Enterprise

EVs

Fintech

Fundraising

Gadgets

Gaming

Google

Government & Policy

Hardware

Instagram

Layoffs

Media & Entertainment

Meta

Microsoft

Privacy

Robotics

Security

Social

Space

Startups

TikTok

Transportation

Venture

Events

Startup Battlefield

StrictlyVC

Newsletters

Podcasts

Videos

Partner Content

TechCrunch Brand Studio

Crunchboard

Bluesky blocks service in Mississippi over age assurance law Sarah Perez PM PDT · August 22, 2025 Social networking startup Bluesky has made the decision to block access to its service in the state of Mississippi, rather than comply with a new age assurance law.

In a blog post published on Friday, the company explains that, as a small team, it doesn’t have the re

Mississippi’s HB 1125 requires platforms to introduce age verification for all users before they can access social networks like Bluesky. On Thursday, U.S. Supreme Court justices decided to block an emergency appeal that would have prevented the law from going into effect as the legal challenges it faces played out in the courts.

As a result, Bluesky had to decide what it would do about compliance.

Instead of requiring age verification before users could access age-restricted content, this law requires age verification of all users. That means Bluesky would have to verify every user’s age as well as obtain parental consent for anyone under 18. The company notes that the potential penalties for non-compliance are hefty, too — up to $10,000 per user.

Bluesky also stresses that the law goes beyond child safety, as intended, and would create “significant barriers that limit free speech and disproportionately harm smaller platforms and emerging technologies.”

To comply, Bluesky would have to collect and store sensitive information from all its users, in addition to the detailed tracking of minors. This is different from how it’s expected to comply with other age verification laws, like the U.K.’s Online Safety Act (OSA), which only requires age checks for certain content and features.

Mississippi’s law blocks anyone from using the site unless they provide their personal and sensitive information.

“Unlike tech giants with vast re

The company notes that its decision only applies to the Bluesky app built on the AT Protocol. Other apps may approach the decision differently.

Topics

Sarah Perez Consumer News Editor

October 27-29, 2025 San Francisco Put your brand in front of 10,000+ tech and VC leaders across all three days of Disrupt 2025. Amplify your reach, spark real connections, and lead the innovation charge. Secure your exhibit space before your competitor does.

Most Popular OpenAI lawyers question Meta’s role in Elon Musk’s $97B takeover bid Maxwell Zeff

Harvard dropouts to launch ‘always on’ AI smart glasses that listen and record every conversation Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai Rebecca Bellan

Google launches a new Pixel Journal app Ivan Mehta

Why Paradigm built a spreadsheet with an AI agent in every cell Rebecca Szkutak

HR giant Workday says hackers stole personal data in recent breach Zack Whittaker

How your solar rooftop became a national security issue Connie Loizos

A comprehensive list of 2025 tech layoffs Cody Corrall Alyssa Stringer Kate Park

X LinkedIn Facebook Instagram youTube Mastodon Threads Bluesky TechCrunchStaffContact UsAdvertiseCrunchboard JobsSite Map Terms of ServicePrivacy PolicyRSS Terms of UseCode of Conduct Pixel 10Made © 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC.