Decentralized social network Bluesky has pulled the plug on access for users in Mississippi after the state’s new age verification law officially took effect.
In a statement published on Friday, the company explained that complying with the legislation would require major technical overhauls — something its small team isn’t equipped to handle. Bluesky also raised concerns that the law’s sweeping requirements could compromise user privacy and disproportionately hurt smaller platforms.
The law in question, Mississippi’s HB 1126, mandates that every social media user verify their age before gaining access — not just those attempting to view restricted content. That means platforms like Bluesky would be forced to confirm the ages of all users and even secure parental consent for anyone under 18. Noncompliance carries steep fines, reportedly up to $10,000 per user.
Bluesky argues the measure goes far beyond protecting children online, instead creating hurdles that threaten free speech and innovation. “Unlike big tech giants with massive budgets, we’re a small team focused on building decentralized technology,” the company said. “Age verification systems demand heavy infrastructure, ongoing monitoring, and strict privacy safeguards. For startups like us, that burden is overwhelming and ultimately favors entrenched platforms.”
The company also pointed out that Mississippi’s approach differs from regulations like the U.K.’s Online Safety Act, which only requires age checks for certain features or content rather than blanket verification.
Following the block, some Bluesky users outside Mississippi reported unexpected access issues because their mobile traffic was being routed through servers in the state. Chief Technology Officer Paul Frazee responded on Saturday, saying the team was working on an update to fix the detection errors.
For now, the restriction applies only to the official Bluesky app built on the AT Protocol. Other apps that use the protocol can choose how to handle Mississippi’s law.