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 18 October 2026
Facts panel
Published statements are shown with their sources and the dates we checked them. Missing information and availability limits remain explicit.
- 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
- Overall record checked
- 18 October 2026. Individual methods may have later checks, shown below.
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 18 October 2026). Notes: Bluesky’s post names “credit card verification and face scans” through Epic Games’ Kids Web Services and gives no retention line. KWS’s own developer page: “Stripe (stripe.com) verifies credit card details.” and, for the UK, “KWS authorizes a £0.05 charge” that is not withdrawn. Debit cards are listed as unavailable in the United Kingdom. |
bsky.social, dated 10 July 2025 Primary source · checked 18 October 2026 |
| Photo ID | Epic Kids Web Services (Veriff) |
No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). Notes: Bluesky’s own post names only credit card and face scans. KWS’s developer page lists the ID route: “A user in all regions, except the Republic of Korea, can verify their age by scanning the front and back of their government-issued identification (ID) documentation.”, “In the United Kingdom, users will also be required to take a selfie to confirm their identity matches their ID documentation.” and “Veriff (veriff.com) verifies scanned ID documentation.” Whether Bluesky offers this route to UK users is not stated by Bluesky. |
dev.epicgames.com Primary source · checked 18 October 2026 |
| Facial age estimation (face scan) | Epic Kids Web Services (Yoti) |
No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). Notes: Bluesky’s post names face scans through KWS. KWS’s developer page: “KWS prompts the user to hold their device’s camera in front of their face, and a machine-learning algorithm estimates their age.” and “Yoti (yoti.com) provides face scan verification.” Face scan is listed as unavailable in the United States and the Republic of Korea. Press (Biometric Update, July 2025) also reported Yoti inside KWS. |
dev.epicgames.com Primary source · checked 18 October 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 18 October 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, Epic Kids Web Services (Veriff) 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 18 October 2026). Photo ID via Epic Kids Web Services (Veriff): No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). Facial age estimation (face scan) via Epic Kids Web Services (Yoti): No published retention period found (checked 18 October 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 record lists 3 methods; availability depends on the service and account: 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 18 October 2026.
Sources for this entry
- Bluesky blog service policy 10 July 2025
- Epic Kids Web Services: Age Verification Service verification methods (developer documentation) vendor page
- Biometric Update press July 2025
Changes to this record
- — methods: Bluesky’s post re-read 18 October 2026 (unchanged, 10 July 2025): it names only credit card verification and face scans through KWS. The ID and face-scan rows now cite KWS’s own developer page, which names Veriff for ID scans (with a selfie in the UK), Yoti for face scans and Stripe for cards, and lists debit cards as unavailable in the UK. No retention wording on either page. (was: ID row sourced to Bluesky’s post; face-scan row secondary (press)) manual
- — 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.