Some regions have enacted laws that require online platforms to verify users' ages using methods we are either unable or unwilling to implement, such as government-issued ID uploads, biometric scans, or mandatory third-party age verification services. Rather than implement these methods, we restrict access to Fluxer from affected regions.

Fluxer is a communication platform, not a social media service or an adult content website. Many age verification laws define those terms in ways that do not cover a platform like ours. We assess each law individually and only apply restrictions where we believe the law genuinely applies to Fluxer.

## How we determine your region

We use IP geolocation (MaxMind data via a Cloudflare Worker we control) to determine your approximate location when you connect. This check is used solely for regional access eligibility. See [Section 3.2 of our Privacy Policy](/privacy#32-ip-address-geolocation) for details.

IP geolocation is not perfect. If you are travelling, using a VPN, or your IP address does not reflect your actual location, you may be affected by restrictions that do not apply to your home region.

## Currently affected regions

If a region is not listed here, no restriction applies.

### Mississippi (United States)

**Restriction:** Full platform – you cannot register, sign in, or access Fluxer from this region.

Mississippi's HB 1126 (Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act) applies to services that allow users to socially interact, create profiles, and post content viewable by others – including in chat rooms. In our reading, this is broad enough to cover Fluxer. The law's messaging exemption only covers services that facilitate "only" email or direct messaging, which does not apply to a platform with communities and channels. The law requires age verification for all users and parental consent for users under 18.

The law was initially blocked by a district court, but the Fifth Circuit reversed that decision in April 2025, and in August 2025 the Supreme Court declined to re-block it. The constitutional challenge is ongoing, but the law is enforceable while litigation continues.

If you have an existing account, your data remains intact. If the restriction is lifted or you access Fluxer from an unrestricted region, your account will be available as normal.

### United Kingdom

**Restriction:** Age-restricted content – you can use Fluxer normally, but NSFW channels and communities are hidden and inaccessible.

The Online Safety Act 2023 regulates "user-to-user services" – broadly, any internet service where content from one user can be encountered by another. Unlike many US laws, it does not use "social media" as a legal category. The Act exempts email, SMS, and one-to-one phone calls, but not messaging or group communication platforms. In our reading, Fluxer falls under Part 3 of the Act, which requires age assurance for specific harmful content rather than age-gating the entire platform. Because Fluxer's purpose is communication, not hosting pornographic content, we restrict access to NSFW content only.

Enforceable since 25 July 2025.

## Laws that do not apply to Fluxer

Several US states have enacted age verification laws whose definitions do not cover Fluxer. We do not restrict access in these states.

**Social media laws:** These laws typically define "social media platform" using criteria like algorithmic content feeds, public profiles, or public social connection lists. Fluxer displays messages chronologically (no algorithmic feed), keeps friend lists private, and is primarily a communication tool – not a content publishing or social networking platform.

- **Tennessee** (HB 1891): The law targets services where users communicate "through posts" made available for others to "consume." We read "consume" as implying passive content viewing, not active conversation. The law does not mention chat rooms or messaging, and its title, framing, and litigation all focus on traditional social media.
- **Florida** (HB 3): Requires platforms to employ algorithms that analyse user data to select content. Fluxer does not do this.
- **Virginia** (SB 854): Requires users to populate a public list of social connections. Fluxer's friend lists are private.

**Adult content laws:** These laws target websites whose business involves hosting adult content. Fluxer's business is providing communication tools. We do not create, market, or profit from adult content. NSFW content on Fluxer is optional, user-generated, and a small fraction of platform activity.

- **South Dakota** (HB 1053), **Wyoming** (HB 43): "Regular course of business" standard – hosting adult content is not part of ours.
- **Ohio** (ORC 1349.10 via HB 96): "Significant or substantial portion" threshold – NSFW content is a small fraction of Fluxer's content. The law also exempts interactive computer services under Section 230.
- **Arizona** (HB 2112): One-third content threshold – well above Fluxer's NSFW content fraction.

**Social media laws blocked by courts:** Louisiana (HB 440), Arkansas (SB 396 (Act 689)), Ohio (HB 33), Georgia (SB 351), Utah (SB 194/HB 464), and Texas (HB 18) have all been enjoined. We will reassess if any take effect.

## Why we take this approach

Implementing invasive age verification requires collecting sensitive personal data – including government IDs – from every user, in places such as Mississippi. For a small, independent platform, this is not feasible without significant resources and without introducing new privacy and security risks. We believe these systems are disproportionate and create new attack surfaces for data breaches.

Where we can comply with a law by restricting specific content rather than collecting invasive data, we do so. Where the law does not leave us that option, we restrict access entirely. Where a law does not cover a platform like Fluxer, we do not restrict access unnecessarily.

We monitor legislative developments and court decisions, and we update this page whenever we add, change, or remove a restriction.

## What to do if you think a restriction is wrong

If you believe your access has been restricted incorrectly – for example, because you are travelling or using a VPN – contact us at privacy@fluxer.app with your username and a description of the issue.

Under applicable data protection laws (such as GDPR), you may have the right to obtain human review of automated decisions that significantly affect you. We honour those rights as described in [Section 10 of our Privacy Policy](/privacy#10-your-privacy-rights).

## Contact

For questions about regional restrictions, contact privacy@fluxer.app. For general information about how we handle your data, see our [Privacy Policy](/privacy).
