Residents of Mississippi can no longer access the social media platform Bluesky. On Friday, the company announced it will block all IP addresses from Mississippi indefinitely following a US Supreme Court decision enabling the state to impose stringent age verification requirements on social media platforms.
The verification method in Mississippi “would fundamentally change” user access to the site, according to Bluesky. “We believe this law presents challenges that go beyond child safety objectives and creates substantial barriers impeding free speech and disproportionately affecting smaller platforms and new technologies,” stated the Bluesky team in its statement.
No response for comment was received from Bluesky.
Due to a lack of resources and infrastructure, the company says it cannot comply with Mississippi’s law, which involves identifying and tracking all users under 18 and requesting sensitive personal data for age verification from all users. Failure to comply could result in fines up to $10,000 per violation. Bluesky is the first major social platform to take such a measure in reaction to the law.
Though age verification laws aim to shield children from inappropriate online content, their effect on internet usage is significant, as seen in regions worldwide where they are enforced. In the UK, users must now undergo ID scans, credit card checks, age-estimation scans, and more to prove they are over 18, affecting access to everything from pornography to social networks. Texas has enacted a similar law upheld by the US Supreme Court in June, despite concerns about free speech and access to information.
The effectiveness of these laws in safeguarding children is uncertain; VPN usage increased in the UK following its age verification law, allowing users to spoof locations. On platforms like Discord, video game characters were used to bypass face scans. Additionally, some critics argue that these laws might put children at risk of identity theft and privacy violations instead of reducing harm.
WIRED has contacted the sponsors of the original bill, Mississippi state representatives Jill Ford, Fabian Nelson, and Larry Byrd, for comments and will update the story if a response is obtained.
“We support child safety policies that effectively address real harms without imposing significant hurdles for smaller providers or adversely impacting free expression,” Bluesky stated.