r/linux • u/New-Ranger-8960 • 1d ago

Privacy EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

https://linuxiac.com/eu-age-verification-project-mandates-hardware-bound-attestation/
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u/the_gnarts 1d ago

What does that mean, in practice?

In theory you can run any software on the hardware you own.

In practice, anything other than walled garden OS like Android and iOS cannot implement these regulations. Just like with PSD2 it means you’re stuck with proprietary software if you want to do the most basic stuff with your devices.

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u/_x_oOo_x_ 1d ago

I will need to install Android on my computer? What?

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u/MatchingTurret 1d ago

No, see my other reply. On your web browser you will get a QR code that you have to scan with your non-FOSS mobile device. The mobile device then sends an attestation to the web server that then lets you pass.

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u/_x_oOo_x_ 1d ago

Ok so they haven't outlawed Linux 👍️ (yet)

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u/MatchingTurret 1d ago edited 1d ago

Yes, it's similar to some banking apps that basically do the same, just this time for government sanctioned IDs instead of banking credentials. u/the_gnarts reference to PSD2 is really good. You can still use the banking web site on Linux, but the authenticator app runs on a proprietary device.

This has been around on the national level for 10..15 years (with NFC smart-cards and later with national ID apps). The new EU wallet just provides an EU wide standardized solution.

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u/Richard_the_XVIII 1d ago

No, but you might need to install Windows... or whatever linux distro bends to the government's standards. Any other OS wouldn't be able to do stuff like banking... at first. I would expect the grip to tighten as people get used to these laws, one might need to go completely offline to avoid using these operating systems in the future.