Is Bluesky Safe? A Bluesky App Review for Parents

Harmful Content 😲

Starting with the good news, Bluesky employs real content moderators to help ensure users are following their community guidelines. The platform also utilizes Thorn’s CSAM detection technology, Safer, to help prevent the spread of child sexual abuse material on the platform.

Although these practices may be well-intentioned, they still fall short. Your child can easily search for and follow feeds centering around sexually explicit content, violence, or otherwise mature themes. And even if your kid decides to follow wholesome feeds, they could easily encounter inappropriate language in the comment section or accidentally stumble across something explicit under the Discover feed, which is only one click away.

Predation 🚨

Wherever there’s a chat feature, there’s the risk of predation. Your child can easily chat with other Bluesky users, both publicly in the comment section or privately. While it’s possible to disable the private chat feature, this setting can be easily changed by your child.

Privacy 🔒

Unfortunately, Bluesky doesn’t let users keep their profile private. This means anyone can see what your child posts or comments and if the chat feature is turned on, anyone can contact them.

Parental Controls ✅

Despite Bluesky’s minimum age-requirement being 13 years old, the app offers parents no control over what their child sees or who they talk to on the platform. Some changes can be made in the settings, but your kid can easily access these without needing your permission. If you’re worried about your child downloading Bluesky, Bark can help.

With Bark you can:

• Block Bluesky completely, if needed.
• Manage when your child can use Bluesky throughout the day.

So, should my kid download it?

Even though Bluesky uses real-life moderators and CSAM detection technology, social media is still social media, and the platform has a long way to go before kids are safe from encountering explicit content. We suggest avoiding this platform and finding different, safer ways for your child to explore their interests and connect with friends online.