Bluesky is adding age verification features for users in the UK

Bluesky users in the UK will soon need to verify their age if they want continued access to direct messages and all of the service's content. The company will begin rolling out age verification features later this month in order to comply with a UK law that requires platforms that offer adult content to confirm users' ages, Bluesky said in an update.

The company says it will use Epic games' Kids Web Services to conduct age verification checks, and that people will be able to choose between several different methods, including face scans, ID scans or using a credit card. Bluesky ssers in the UK who don't verify their age will no longer be able to access direct messaging or see adult content shared in the app.

Bluesky notes that it's making the change in order to comply with the terms of the UK's Online Safety Act, which requires websites and apps that permit adult content to verify the ages of their users. The law, originally passed in 2023, is set to take effect July 25.

While the update will only affect Bluesky users in the UK, officials in the US have been pursuing similar measures for years. The US Supreme Court recently upheld a Texas law requiring porn sites to conduct age verification checks on users. Digital rights and privacy advocates in the United States and the UK have long criticized these measures, saying that they erode privacy and create more opportunities for children and adults' data to be misused.

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