BlueSky
BlueSky
|
MINIMUM AGE: 13+
WHAT IS IT? Bluesky is the latest micro-blogging social media platform to get a real buzz. It has functionally similar to (and even shares the same co-founder as) X. BlueSky is for people who go online to stay up-to-date. News, jokes, gaming, art, hobbies. Short text posts make for a quick read. Users can follow other individuals to curate their own timeline and send users direct messages, much like on X. WHAT WE SAY: Treat with Caution. 🔞 Exposure to Inappropriate ContentBluesky has minimal content moderation. Because of its decentralised structure, users can encounter explicit language, sexual content, graphic imagery, or hate speech without filters. There's little to prevent younger users from being exposed to adult themes. 🔐 Privacy Concerns User profiles, posts, likes, and follower activity are all public by default. While Bluesky doesn’t require real names, anonymity can encourage risky behaviour. Additionally, there are limited safety tools for hiding content or blocking unwanted attention. 📢 Lack of Accountability Since anyone can create multiple accounts with no verification, impersonation, trolling, and harassment are difficult to trace. Moderation policies vary across servers, and harmful content may remain visible longer than on mainstream platforms. 📱 Cyberbullying and Harassment As with other open platforms, Bluesky can become a space for targeted harassment, pile-ons, or abuse, especially toward marginalised users or those expressing unpopular views. Without strong moderation, bullying can go unchecked. 🚨 Sexual Harassment Bluesky’s open feed and relaxed content policies allow users to post or request sexually suggestive content. Young users may encounter inappropriate messages or posts, and there’s a risk of being targeted by adults posing as peers. 🧑💻 Online Predators & Grooming Bluesky enables direct interaction with strangers, making it possible for predators to initiate contact, build trust, and engage in grooming behaviours. Because the app lacks parental controls, it’s hard to monitor who a child is interacting with. 🚨 Criminal Activity & Extremist Content Bluesky’s decentralised nature makes it difficult to control harmful or illegal content, including hate speech, doxxing, extremist ideologies, or drug promotion. Young users may stumble upon this in threads or through trending topics. 🚨Decentralised Hosting = Less Control Some “servers” or feeds may have fewer rules or allow extreme content. There is no single authority to report all issues, unlike on Instagram or TikTok. ⚠️Content Can’t Always Be Taken Down Posts made on decentralised servers may persist even if a user deletes their account—raising long-term privacy and safety concerns. |
SAFETY TIPS:
📲Understand the app: Familiarise yourself with BlueSky's features and how they work. Knowing how the app works will help you guide your child effectively. 👨👧Parental supervision: Check their interactions and adjust privacy settings accordingly. Try to stay up-to-date on Internet trends and best practices. 📢Underage Accounts: Bluesky's might have an age restriction but it lacks a proper age verification process. Therefore, there’s little stopping users from faking their dates of birth or creating bogus profiles and targetting children and young people. 👥Manage friend requests: Teach your child only to accept friend requests from people they know in real life. 📷 Cover the Webcam When Not in Use Physically cover your camera when you're not ready to go live. Always be mindful of what’s visible in your background—it can reveal location clues. 🧠 Trust Your Instincts If something feels uncomfortable, it is uncomfortable. Leave the chat immediately and don’t engage with users who seem suspicious, aggressive, or inappropriate. 🖥️ Place Devices in Shared Spaces Keep internet-connected devices in living rooms or kitchens, not bedrooms. This makes risky behavior less likely and easier to notice. 🙋♀️Conversations: Have open discussions with children and young people about the topics associated with online use - bullying, grooming, sexual and criminal exploitation, body image, as well as accessing support and how to report. 🚨 Know the Signs of Trouble Watch for behaviour changes—like anxiety, secrecy, mood swings, or suddenly deleting apps. These can signal something inappropriate happened online. 💬Conversations: Have open discussions with children and young people about the topics associated with online use - bullying, grooming, sexual and criminal exploitation, body image, as well as accessing support and how to report. FURTHER SUPPORT: For parents/ carers If you're worried about your child or need support call NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. If you discover criminal content when online then report it directly to the police or the Internet Watch Foundation. If you're worried about online grooming or sexual behaviour online then report directly to the police or contact CEOP. For Children & young people if they're worried or want to talk, encourage them to contact Childline Online or call 0800 1111. Check out our Resource Centre for further information and useful online safety tips.ul online safety tips. 
|
