Social-media start-up Bluesky has blocked access to its platform for anyone connecting from Mississippi, saying it lacks the resources to comply with the state’s new age-verification law that took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to halt it this week. Mississippi’s HB 1126, known as the Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act, obliges social networks to verify the age of every user and obtain parental consent for minors. Non-compliant companies face penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. The measure is being challenged by industry group NetChoice but is now in force while litigation proceeds in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In a blog post, Bluesky said the statute would force the small company to collect and store sensitive personal data and to track which accounts belong to children, imposing “substantial infrastructure” costs and raising privacy and free-speech concerns. The firm added that such mandates entrench larger competitors that can absorb the expense. Bluesky is the first major platform to suspend service in a U.S. state over an age-assurance rule, highlighting growing friction between child-safety legislation and online speech. The company said the block will remain until the courts resolve the dispute.