Bluesky has announced that from 25 July, UK users will need to provide valid ID in order to use all of the social network's features.
If you don't provide ID you won't be able to use features such as direct messaging, and you won't be able to see any content flagged as unsuitable for children.
Bluesky is the first big social network to make such an announcement, but it won't be the last. The UK's Online Safety Act demands that from 25 July, online platforms must take steps to ensure that children can't see "harmful" content.
That means not just illegal content, but all kinds of content that may be inappropriate for children.
How and why Bluesky will check your ID
Bluesky has chosen to use Epic Games' Kids Web Services (KWS) to handle the ID verification, and that means you'll be able to confirm you're you by uploading an image of your bank card, passport or driving licence, or having a face scan.
That latter option will use an algorithm to judge whether you look suitably grown-up.
Bluesky has chosen not to make ID verification mandatory, but says: "For people who are under 18 or don’t want to go through this process, we’ll make adult-appropriate content inaccessible, and we’ll disable features like direct messaging."
The announcement hasn't exactly been greeted with delight by the network's users, many of whom have privacy concerns and concerns about tying their real-life details to their online personas, and how it could potentially be used to curb free speech.
Others suggest that ID verification is the least worst option, because the other option would be for Bluesky to censor any content that might be considered inappropriate for children – a move that would be unworkable.
We've seen similar systems accidentally all kinds of perfectly legitimate content, even being used to target marginalised groups such as the LGBTQ+ community.
As the UK government explains, the Online Safety Act applies to "services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other" – so it will apply to all of the social networks, plus internet forums and chat groups.
Even cloud storage services will be affected, as well as video-sharing platforms, like YouTube and TikTok.
And while it's UK-only legislation, it also applies to services hosted and operating elsewhere if they have a significant number of UK users.
Prepare for change.
