Bluesky to add age verification features for UK users
Verified users get full access; everyone else gets a more restricted experience.
Bluesky is rolling out a UK-first feature that feels like more than a checkbox. It’s a sign of how seriously platforms are taking age safety under upcoming laws.
Starting later this month, users in the UK will be prompted to verify their age using one of three methods: facial scan, ID scan, or a credit card. This is all handled via Kid Web Services (KWS), a system developed by Epic Games for age checks and parental controls
For those under 18—or anyone who chooses not to go through the verification—Bluesky isn’t shutting the door. Instead, users will still have accounts, but features like direct messaging and access to adult-labeled content will be disabled.
This isn’t happening on a whim. It comes as the UK’s Online Safety Act, which fully rolls out on July 25, 2025, requires platforms to enforce robust age checks or face fines reaching £18 million or 10% of global revenue.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
Bluesky says the age verification prompt will appear automatically to UK users, guiding them through the KWS process, after which appropriate safety settings will apply. The company also noted that this is just the start, as they’re evaluating additional ways to reduce underage access to potentially harmful content.
France and parts of the U.S. have passed similar laws and restrictions to protect minors online. For instance, France has a law requiring parental consent for children under 15 to create social media accounts.
Meanwhile, a new Utah law in the U.S. will require app stores like the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store to verify users’ ages before downloading social media apps. However, Bluesky’s approach, pairing identity confirmation with tiered access, shows how seriously the UK government means “highly effective age assurance.”
The impact falls right between safeguarding young users and preserving platform freedom. Verified adults will keep full access, while teens and opt-outs face limitations. For Bluesky, this may introduce friction, but the company needs to balance compliance, user trust, and privacy.
With growing focus on shielding minors from harmful content online, age verification isn’t just optional—it’s the law. Expect more platforms like X and Facebook to launch similar systems as the enforcement deadline nears.
Louis Eriakha
