Bluesky: age checks in the UK
Adult content and DMs need a check in the UK since 10 July 2025, via Epic Kids Web Services (credit card, ID, or Yoti facial estimation).
Age check for some content or features Social media Bluesky Social PBC verified 6 September 2026
Facts panel
Everything here is what the service, its vendor or a regulator has published, with the source and the date we read it. No adjectives.
- Domain
- bsky.app
- Age check
- Age check for some content or features, first recorded 10 July 2025
- Triggered by
- adult or mature content; messaging and chat
- Applies to
- all UK users
- Methods
- Credit cardPhoto IDFace scan
- Vendor
- Epic Kids Web Services; in-house or unnamed for
- Last verified
- 6 September 2026
Methods and retention, one row per method
| Method | Provider | Retention, as published | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card | Epic Kids Web Services |
No published retention period found (checked 6 September 2026). Notes: Bluesky post gives no retention line; defers to KWS FAQ. |
bsky.social, dated 10 July 2025 Primary source · checked 6 September 2026 |
| Photo ID | Epic Kids Web Services |
No published retention period found (checked 6 September 2026). |
bsky.social, dated 10 July 2025 Primary source · checked 6 September 2026 |
| Facial age estimation (face scan) | Epic Kids Web Services (Yoti) |
No published retention period found (checked 6 September 2026). Notes: Yoti estimation inside KWS. |
biometricupdate.com, dated July 2025 Secondary source (press) · checked 6 September 2026 |
What you will see
- What happens
- Adult content and direct messages are switched off until you complete a KWS check.
- How long it takes
- Not stated by the service.
- If you decline
- You keep browsing without adult content or DMs.
- Official help page
- bsky.social
Questions people ask about Bluesky
Does Bluesky require age verification in the UK?
For some content or features. As of 6 September 2026, Bluesky asks UK users to complete an age check for adult or mature content and messaging and chat, applying to all UK users. First recorded 10 July 2025.
Is the Bluesky age check a face scan?
A face scan (facial age estimation) is one of 3 recorded methods: Credit card, Photo ID and Facial age estimation (face scan). Providers named: Epic Kids Web Services and Epic Kids Web Services (Yoti). Which methods a service offers can change; the date each was checked is shown on the page.
What does Bluesky keep after the age check?
Credit card via Epic Kids Web Services: No published retention period found (checked 6 September 2026). Photo ID via Epic Kids Web Services: No published retention period found (checked 6 September 2026). Facial age estimation (face scan) via Epic Kids Web Services (Yoti): No published retention period found (checked 6 September 2026).
What if the Bluesky age check is not working?
This site records what the service publishes; it does not troubleshoot or offer workarounds. Bluesky's own help page is https://bsky.social/about/blog/07-10-2025-age-assurance. The service lists 3 methods, so a second method may be offered if one fails: Credit card, Photo ID and Facial age estimation (face scan). If you do not complete the check, the service states: You keep browsing without adult content or DMs.
Regulator actions
No Ofcom or ICO action naming this service is recorded as of 6 September 2026.
Sources for this entry
- Bluesky blog service policy 10 July 2025
Changes to this record
- — seed: record created from research/01 and research/02 seed
Correct this entry
If Bluesky's own page says something different, that page wins and we want to know. Send a correction with the URL. Corrections are answered within a week and logged above with their source. Nothing you send is published.