Global Regulatory Compliance Reporting Processs

Overview

At Bluesky, we are committed to maintaining a safe environment for all users and complying with relevant regulatory frameworks worldwide. While our Community Guidelines and standard in-app reporting flow address most content concerns, specific regulatory frameworks in certain regions require additional reporting mechanisms.

This page explains our specialized reporting process for content that may violate specific regulatory requirements in the UK, EU, and Australia. We review and take appropriate action based on the information provided with each report and in accordance with the applicable regulatory framework.

Note: For general violations of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service unrelated to these specific legal regulations, please use our standard reporting flow within the app.

Regulatory Frameworks

Australia's Online Safety Act (OSA) establishes regulatory frameworks to help keep Australians safe online. Under this regulation, we have obligations to:

• Protect users from harmful online content
• Respond promptly to reports of serious harmful content
• Share information with the eSafety Commissioner when necessary
• Comply with removal notices for certain types of content

Learn more about Australia's Online Safety Act

The EU's Digital Services Act aims to create a safer digital space where the fundamental rights of users are protected. Under this regulation, we have obligations to:

• Process notices concerning illegal content without undue delay
• Provide clear information about our content moderation decisions
• Maintain transparency in our notice and action procedures
• Include statistical information about notices in our DSA Transparency Report

Learn more about the EU's Digital Services Act

The UK's Online Safety Act establishes a duty of care for online platforms to protect users from harmful content. Under this regulation, we have obligations to:

• Provide effective reporting mechanisms for harmful content
• Take appropriate action on reported content
• Maintain transparent reporting processes
• Protect users from illegal content and content that is harmful to children

Learn more about the UK's Online Safety Act

Handling Reports from Other Regions

This reporting form can be used by users from any region worldwide, not just Australia, the EU or UK. If you're reporting from another location, simply select "Other country-specific regulatory requirements" at the beginning of the form and specify your country when prompted.

All reports are carefully reviewed against our Community Guidelines and any applicable local laws, regardless of origin. When submitting from regions outside the UK, EU, or Australia, please provide as much detail as possible about the potential regulatory violation in your country.

How to Report Content Under These Regulations

If you believe content on Bluesky violates one of these regulatory frameworks, you can submit a report through our Regulatory Content Violation Reporting Form.

What to Expect When You Report

• Submission: You'll complete our specialized reporting form, selecting the applicable regulatory framework and providing details about the content in question.
• Review: We will review your report and assess the content against our Community Guidelines and the requirements of the relevant regulation.
• Action: If the content is found to violate either our guidelines or regulatory requirements, appropriate action will be taken, which may include content removal, account restrictions, or other measures.
• Follow-up: If you've provided your contact information in the form, we'll notify you about the outcome of your report.
• Recourse (optional): If you disagree with the outcome of your report, you can appeal our decision by responding to the notification email. Appeals will be reviewed by a different member of our team, and you'll be notified of the final determination via your provided valid email.

Regulatory Oversight & Escalation

If you're not satisfied with how we've handled your report, you have the right to escalate your concerns to the appropriate regulatory body. Each jurisdiction has a designated authority responsible for enforcing online safety regulations and handling user complaints.

When escalating a complaint, please include details about your original report to Bluesky and our response.

Regulatory Bodies by Region

• United Kingdom: Ofcom is the designated regulator for the UK's Online Safety Act, ensuring online services protect users from illegal and harmful content.
• European Union: Each EU member state has a designated Digital Services Coordinator (DSC). You may contact either your national DSC or the European Commission's DSA enforcement team.
• Australia: The eSafety Commissioner serves as Australia's independent regulator for online safety issues, working to help Australians have safer experiences online. Australians can report to eSafety cyberbullying of children, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse and illegal and restricted content via esafety.gov.au/report.

These regulatory bodies can provide additional guidance, review our handling of your complaint, and take further action if necessary.

Emergency Situations

If you believe someone is in immediate danger, please contact emergency services in your location immediately. Our reporting process is not designed to address emergency situations requiring immediate intervention.

How We Handle Your Information

When you submit a report through our Regulatory Content Violation Reporting Form:

• Your information will be used to review and address the reported content
• Your personal information and report details will be stored securely
• Access to your information will be limited to authorized personnel
• Your identity as a complainant will not be revealed to other end-users without your express consent
• Your information will be retained only as long as necessary to fulfill our legal obligations
• Your information will be processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws

You may choose to submit your report anonymously. However, please be advised that without a valid email address, we will not be able to send you any updates about your report, notify you of the outcome, or contact you for additional information that may be needed.

A valid email address means a working email account that you own, control, and check frequently. Providing someone else's email or an account you rarely access will prevent you from receiving important communications about your report.

Reporting System Integrity

We are committed to maintaining a fair and effective reporting process. Deliberate misuse of our reporting tools, including submitting intentionally false reports, coordinated reporting attempts, using reports to harass others, or attempting to manipulate our reporting system through automated means, may result in:

• Suspension or termination of your Bluesky account
• Limitations on your ability to use reporting features

We carefully review reports to ensure they are submitted in good faith and serve their intended purpose of protecting our community. In cases of systematic abuse that potentially violate platform terms of service, we may take appropriate action to protect the integrity of our reporting mechanisms.

Questions or Concerns?

If you have any questions about our regulatory content reporting process or need assistance with submitting a report, please contact our support team at support@bsky.app.

Last updated: April 2025