Bluesky, the funky, semi-decentralized Twitter spin-off, is rolling out age verification systems to comply with new regulations instituted in Europe and parts of the U.S. On Wednesday, the platform announced that it was expanding its verification systems in South Dakota and Wyoming.
The United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act created new requirements for platforms that want to operate within its borders, including steps to reduce the visibility of certain kinds of content that may not be age-appropriate for children. In July, Bluesky announced age verification checks for British users, as part of its compliance process with that law. In the U.S., meanwhile, the site has launched verification systems to deal with similar online safety laws that have popped up over the past few years, and which are designed to protect children from harmful content.
In a blog post, Bluesky said that it would be expanding its age-verification systems to new regions. The platform uses something it calls Kids Web Services (KWS), which offers a number of different ways for users to verify their ages, including ID scans and credit card checks. The platform also commented:
We recognize that promoting safety for young people is a shared responsibility, and we support the idea of collective action to protect children from online risks. We also recognize that governments may have strong, often conflicting, views on these issues and how to weigh competing priorities. In this rapidly evolving regulatory environment, our goal is to respect the law while balancing safety, free expression, and user privacy to serve the greater good of our community. Responding to new laws and regulations will require pragmatism and flexibility.
Age verification has become an increasingly important issue. It remains controversial, as privacy advocates hedge at its impact on the open internet. Meanwhile, companies—like porn platforms—have objected to it, largely due to the logistical difficulties of integrating such systems into their business models and the fact that the privacy risks are off-putting to their customers.
Earlier this month, an analysis by The Washington Post found that porn sites that followed the new rules for age checks were losing traffic, and users were flocking to shadier sites that were willing to skirt the law.
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