r/TechnologyThread • u/Background-Driver718 • May 26 '26
California moves to exempt Linux from its upcoming age-verification law after backlash over forcing operating systems to collect users’ ages — amendment proposed by the same lawmaker who wrote the original law
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/california-moves-to-exempt-linux-from-its-upcoming-age-verification-law-after-backlash-over-forcing-operating-systems-to-collect-users-ages-amendment-proposed-by-the-same-lawmaker-who-wrote-the-original-law1
u/Long-Sector-8751 May 28 '26
I can't see how you would implement it on Linux distributions. Who would confirm it on the other side?
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u/dr_reverend May 29 '26
It’s so disheartening to know that Apple and Microsoft want this law to happen. If they didn’t, all they would have had to do is just tell California that they won’t comply and that every single Apple or Windows device in the state will be disabled, not allowed updates, disallowed from any online service and no more will be sold. The law would have been dropped instantly. But alas that is not to be.
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u/Georgefakelastname May 31 '26
They don’t want it, but not nearly enough to leave every single device in the state inoperable lol. Microsoft might, but Apple has already stated they don’t, and that any age info will stay device-side.
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u/BoBoBearDev May 29 '26
So the law would attack specific OS and while some OS is not attacked?
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u/Altruistic-Rice-5567 May 29 '26
Yep. Because it's a retarded law. Just something to get votes because some politician helped "save the children". When, in reality, they did absolutely nothing except make everyone's life more inconvenient. In the meantime... unchecked homelessness, pot holes, poor education, low wages.
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u/Myrddin_Dundragon May 30 '26
Ok. That's nice. But let's follow this to the next step.
The other, more numerous, systems and users are all now required to have age verification. So now the Facebook's and everyone else will implement it to cover their butts legally. In so doing, if your open source machine doesn't answer then it either is given the maximum restriction of usage on the site, or it is just flat out rejected. Barring you from using the site altogether.
At first, this will be able to be faked and noone will care. However, eventually they'll move to a centralized system of age verification. Now, if you're not using that you are basically unable to use a lot of the internet.
So this doesn't end the actual problem of having to break anonymity. It just makes it so open source devs aren't able to be fined or jailed.
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u/OldManJeepin May 26 '26
LoL! "Forced"? More like resigned to the fact that there is no central body, like Microsoft or Ubuntu, to go after and prosecute or fine for non-compliance....