Bluesky, a social network that started two years ago to compete with X and Threads, is making big changes to its Community Guidelines and other rules.
The changes are meant to make it clearer how to keep users safe, improve the appeals process, and make sure that the site follows new global rules like the UK Online Safety Act, the EU Digital Services Act, and the US TAKE IT DOWN Act.
The new rules will be mostly about making the community more respectful and positive. This is in response to past complaints that users were too serious, not funny, and not open to new ideas.
Bluesky has changed its Terms of Service to include age verification methods like facial scans, ID uploads, or payment card checks for users in countries like the UK where adult content is concerned. The intent is to make sure they obey the rules.
Bluesky is also starting an “informal dispute resolution process,” which lets users talk to the company about their problems directly over the phone before any formal action is taken.
This is different from bigger platforms, where users are often banned without clear reasons or chances to talk about it. Bluesky will also let some claims of harm be settled in court instead of requiring arbitration, which is a big change from what is normal in the industry.
The community rules, which go into effect on October 15, 2025, are based on four main ideas: safety first, respect others, be yourself, and follow the rules.
Moderators use these rules to decide when to label or remove content, suspend or ban accounts, and tell the police about serious violations. The new rules say that you can’t promote violence, harm, illegal activities, sexualizing minors, doxxing, spam, or other bad content.
The rules are meant to cut down on hate, harassment, and bullying, and they deal with tough topics like threats, harm, and abuse. It’s against the rules to post content that encourages hate or discrimination based on things like race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Bluesky has had trouble moderating content about the Black and trans communities in the past. This change aims to address those problems while also dealing with criticism of perceived political bias and negative behavior in the community.
Moderation tools give users the power to shape their experience by letting them block, report, and subscribe to block lists that match their values. A lot of people still want Bluesky to make moderation decisions, even though they sometimes disagree with the trust and safety team.
Lastly, Bluesky’s Privacy Policy and Copyright Policy have been completely rewritten to follow international laws about user rights, data handling, takedown procedures, and openness. There is no time for the public to give feedback on these policies before they go into effect on September 15, 2025.
This big change shows that Bluesky is committed to finding a balance between following the rules, keeping the community healthy, and giving users more power as it grows in the competitive world of social media.
