Bluesky Launches Significant Revamp of User Guidelines
Two years after launching, social network Bluesky is revising its policies and Community Guidelines while seeking user feedback. The company says these updates provide greater clarity and more detail around safety procedures and the appeals process. Many of the revisions are influenced by global regulations such as the U.K.’s Online Safety Act, the EU’s Digital Services Act, and the U.S.’s TAKE IT DOWN Act.
For compliance, Bluesky’s Terms of Service now reflects new online safety requirements and introduces age assurance where necessary. In the U.K., for example, the Online Safety Act mandates that platforms offering adult content use age verification tools. The process for complaints and appeals has also been expanded to ensure users understand available options.
Dispute Resolution and Legal Processes
Bluesky has introduced an informal dispute resolution process designed to settle issues before formal proceedings. Unlike many platforms, users also have the option to pursue certain claims in court rather than arbitration. This approach signals a shift toward more accessible and transparent resolution paths.
At the same time, users are encouraged to participate in shaping the rules through the feedback period, which concludes before the new guidelines take effect on October 15, 2025. This feedback-driven model ensures that policy changes account for community perspectives while remaining in line with regulatory standards.
Revised Community Guidelines and Principles
The updated Community Guidelines focus on four central principles: Safety First, Respect Others, Be Authentic, and Follow the Rules. These serve as the foundation for decisions about labeling or removing content, suspending accounts, or escalating severe cases to law enforcement.
Prohibited behaviors include promoting violence, self-harm, or animal abuse, posting illegal content, sexualizing minors, or sharing nonconsensual personal data. Spam, malicious content, and doxxing are also banned. Nevertheless, the policies carve out exceptions for journalism, parody, and satire, recognizing the role of free expression.
Respecting others remains a critical requirement. Content that promotes harassment, discrimination, or hate is restricted, including harmful deepfakes or posts that target individuals based on protected traits such as race, gender identity, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. While these standards aim to improve safety, interpretations of what qualifies as abuse or harm may spark debate.
Additionally, Bluesky has updated its Privacy Policy and Copyright Policy, both set to take effect on September 15, 2025. These revisions address data rights, retention, deletion, takedown processes, and transparency reporting, ensuring alignment with global legal frameworks.
