Bluesky account suspended or taken down

If Bluesky suspended or took down your account, appeal within two weeks. Bluesky's terms set that limit. Use the appeal button on the suspension screen in the app, or email [email protected] for a removed post. If you live in the EU, you also have a right to clear reasons and access to independent dispute bodies.

Why acting early matters: Bluesky's terms say you must appeal within two weeks of the suspension, termination or restriction. Late appeals, or appeals without enough detail, may not be reviewed. The longer an account is down, the more followers, customers and conversations move on. See what is at stake

What happened to your account?

Pick the one that fits. Each guide has the steps for that case.

How Bluesky bans work

What Bluesky can do

Bluesky is run by Bluesky Social, PBC, a US company. Its moderation team can:

Take down posts, so others can no longer see them.
Add labels, which put a warning on posts or hide them for some people.
Limit features or restrict your account.
Suspend your account for a set time. Bluesky's 2025 transparency report says suspensions get longer as strikes add up.
Take down your account for good. The same report says the most serious violations can lead to permanent removal on the first offense.

Bluesky also runs on the AT Protocol. Other people can run their own labelers, and you can be added to other users' moderation lists. Those are not Bluesky decisions. Before you appeal, check who made the decision. The appeal screen for a label tells you where the appeal goes.

The route if you live in the EU

Reasons. Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), Bluesky must give you a clear and specific statement of reasons: the facts, the rule, whether automated tools were used and how to challenge it.
Internal appeal. Bluesky's terms offer EU users an appeal by email or in the app. The DSA sets at least six months for platforms it covers, but Bluesky's terms say two weeks. So appeal within two weeks to be safe. You can still use the EU steps after that.
Certified dispute body. Bluesky's terms say you can pick any certified body and that Bluesky will engage in good faith under Article 21. You can go there without the internal appeal first. It is free or costs a small fee. If you win, the platform pays the fees and your reasonable costs. The body decides within 90 days of receiving your complete complaint. Its decision is not binding.
Your data. Under the GDPR, ask Bluesky for a free copy of your personal data at [email protected].
Court stays open.

Dispute bodies and Bluesky

No certified body names Bluesky yet. General bodies may still take the case. Use the dispute body finder and ask the body before you file.

If you live outside the EU

These rules protect people who live in the EU, not Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or the UK. Elsewhere, the in-app appeal and the email to moderation are your main route. The two-week limit in Bluesky's terms applies to you too.

Things to avoid

Don't pay anyone who offers "recovery" or asks for your password or app password.
Don't open a new account to get around a suspension. Bluesky is likely to treat it as evading the ban.
Don't send a short, angry appeal. Bluesky's terms say appeals without supporting detail may not be reviewed.

Start with the free ban checker to see your deadline and next step.

What you stand to lose

A ban on Bluesky takes more than a profile. Think about what is on the account before you decide what to do.

Years of photos, videos and posts you may not have saved anywhere else
Messages and contacts, sometimes the only way you reach certain people
The followers, subscribers or community you built
Income: sales, sponsorships, payouts and the customers who find you there
Other apps and sites where you sign in with this account

On Bluesky specifically

Bluesky's privacy policy says that if it suspects you broke its terms, it keeps the relevant data as long as needed to investigate and to enforce the removal.
Your posts and profile. Under the AT Protocol rules Bluesky publishes, a taken-down account is inactive and its posts, images and data export are no longer passed on.
Your chats. The Bluesky app says suspended accounts cannot take part in chat.
Your account for good. Bluesky's 2025 transparency report says most takedowns are permanent, and repeated strikes end in a permanent ban.

Deadlines that are already running

Bluesky's terms say you must appeal within two weeks of the suspension, termination or restriction. Late appeals, or appeals without enough detail, may not be reviewed.
Complaint to Bluesky: open for at least six months from the day Bluesky told you about the decision (DSA Art. 20).
Copy of your data: free, and Bluesky must answer within one month of your request (GDPR Art. 15). It is worth asking now.

Check your rights for free See the letter packs

Questions people ask

How do I appeal a Bluesky suspension?

Bluesky's terms say you can use the in-app appeal tool or email [email protected]. Bluesky says account suspensions are best appealed in the app and removed posts by email. Do it within two weeks, because that is the limit in Bluesky's terms.

Does the Digital Services Act apply to Bluesky?

Yes, if you live in the EU. Bluesky must give you a clear statement of reasons for its decision. Its terms also offer EU users an internal appeal and a certified dispute body.

Is a label on my posts a ban?

No. A label adds a warning or hides a post for some people, but your account still works. Labels from Bluesky's own moderation can be appealed in the app. Labels from other labelers are their decision, not Bluesky's.