Implementing Age Verification Procedures for UK Users on Bluesky Platform
In a significant move to ensure online safety for minors, several leading social media platforms are actively implementing or testing age verification systems. This shift comes in response to tightening regulations in various jurisdictions, particularly the UK, Australia, EU, and France.
Bluesky, a popular social media platform, has taken the initiative by introducing a UK-first age verification feature this month. Users under 18 or those who choose not to verify will still have accounts, but certain features like direct messaging and access to adult-labeled content will be disabled. The implementation of this feature is in response to the UK's Online Safety Act, which requires platforms to enforce robust age checks.
The Online Safety Act, set to fully roll out on July 25, 2025, mandates platforms to comply or face fines up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue. Similarly, Australia is enforcing a landmark under-16 social media ban effective December 2025, with platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, and potentially YouTube required to take "reasonable steps" to verify age or face heavy fines.
Meta (Facebook and Instagram) is trialing third-party age-checking technology provided by Yoti, which uses video analysis to estimate a user’s age. This method is being tested in select regions as part of efforts to prevent underage access. The European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) also mandates Very Large Online Platforms to adopt age verification as a risk mitigation measure. The EU is developing a Temporary Age Verification App that is expected to enter beta in summer 2025, preceding a broader Digital Identity Wallet rollout in 2026.
France has a law requiring parental consent for children under 15 to create social media accounts, while Spain is proposing similar age restriction laws. These developments indicate a widespread move across social media and digital platforms to integrate technical age assurance solutions such as biometric checks, behavior inference, and parental controls to comply with these regulations and protect minors online.
Bluesky isn't shutting the door for users who choose not to verify, but they will have limited account functionality. Users will have three options for verification: facial scan, ID scan, or credit card. The approach taken by Bluesky, pairing identity confirmation with tiered access, is seen as "highly effective age assurance" by the UK government.
As enforcement deadlines near, expect more platforms, such as X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and YouTube, to launch similar systems. This shift towards age verification systems is a clear sign of how seriously platforms are taking age safety under upcoming laws, marking a significant step towards ensuring a safer online environment for minors.
- The European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) requires Very Large Online Platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and YouTube to adopt age verification as a risk mitigation measure.
- In addition to the UK's Online Safety Act, France has a law requiring parental consent for children under 15 to create social media accounts, while Spain is proposing similar age restriction laws.
- As policy-and-legislation in various jurisdictions tighten, general-news outlets are reporting on the increasing use of technology, such as biometric checks and third-party age-checking, in the entertainment and social-media sectors as a means of enforcing age restrictions and ensuring online safety for minors.
