Bluesky is testing age verification in South Dakota, Wyoming
Bluesky, the social media app, is rolling out age verification for users in South Dakota and Wyoming after being forced to block all users from Mississippi earlier this year.
Mississippi's law was so strict—and came with huge fines—that Bluesky's small team decided it was safer to just leave the state rather than attempt expensive compliance.
What's the concern?
For these new state rules, Bluesky will use Kids Web Services (KWS), which lets people prove their age through things like payment cards or anonymous facial scans.
The bigger picture? With each US state making its own rules on age checks, smaller platforms like Bluesky have a hard time keeping up.
Privacy advocates also worry that these laws could put user data at risk, giving an advantage to larger companies who can afford compliance.