In my country, Brazil, on March 17 the age verification will be law on every OS… so technically Linux will be “illegal” too :(
this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2026
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Each app needs to check age? So like every one of the hundred windows processes need to do this?
Just do what MidnightBDS did. MidnightBSD has decided to change its license to prohibit use in California. There, problem sorted. Anyone in California wanting MBDS can simply use a vpn. BTW, MBDS is one of those happy kind of discoveries (serendipity?) I’ve just made. Check them out.
This right here. It's not about "protecting children." It never HAS been about "protecting children." It never WILL be about "protecting children." It's about surveillance and control. The money class is desperate for ways to identify you online that can get around your use of a VPN. They want to know who you are, where you are, where you go, who you talk to, what you buy and what your politics are. And if you think they'll be satisfied with just an age check for porn sites, you are hopelessly naive.
Fortunately, when someone or something "damages" the Internet, like these sorts of laws, the Internet routes around that damage. If a website won't accept my connection because of an age check, I'm just going to move on the something else. These idiot lawmakers act like we don't have a choice. I say they're wrong.
Just add a "Not To Be Used In California" note.
If - yep, a VERY big If - that happened it would at least trigger a larger discussion. At the moment, no-one in the general public knows about this erosion of privacy.
Yeah that's literally what a lot of aftermarket motorcycle parts say.
It's not exclusive to California.
Many years ago it was forbidden to export strong cryptography from the US, like a giant "not for use outside US".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Export_of_cryptography_from_the_United_States
It's fine IMO to do the reverse now, even if it becomes the entire US.
Just think about the children™ bro. We are doing everything to save the children™ bro. Trust me bro.
Yup. I'm not about to take the word of politicians who have unwavering support for The King of the Pedophiles and a serial rapist.
I'm not sure if that law will pass/has passed, but I wonder how it affects embed systems, vending machines, etc, since all of them have OS in them. For Linux this can already be implemented by using groups for age so they can claim the OS already offers this and be done, then it's up to the apps to query it and most apps wouldn't need to so that's that.
Does each VM need to be verified, or the hypervisor? What about docker? Does memtest need to ask for age verification?
Yup, it's very clear there wasn't a single person who understands about OSs in any of the proceedings for this law.
Language is something you can teach, but it isn’t really something that’s easily controlled. The term “OS” already means something like ‘a space that lets you interact with and manage apps and services on a personal computing device’ for most people. This is the case because of how its used with Apple, Google, Windows, Steam, Meta, etc…
So the literal operating systems of other kinds of equipment, such as a vending machine, might eventually end up with its own moniker if the distinction becomes important enough to matter.
I’m not sure if that law will pass/has passed,
It has already passed the legislature and been signed into law, but not become operative yet, won't until 2027-01-01.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1043
LOL. no. it fucking is not.
Linux will not care, if some corporate distros sell out, no matter. Just spin up any other million distros which are not [redacted]. Or just gentoo it.
Literally no reason to use a slur.
Perhaps strong words, but i absolutely despise this pointless topic. i am not in US jurisdiction (not that it would make any difference if i was), i don't want their nonsense and i believe very strongly against it. we have enough of our own nonsense from politicians who understand nothing to deal with.
Anyway i edited it now
“Anyway i edited it now”
Very easy to do. Thank you very much.
Linux is like that spider swatting meme where the spider gets squished, and then it explodes into a million smaller spiders that run every direction.
another advantage of foss
Nothing GNU or proper free software can care, because it would violate freedom number zero.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Free_Software_Definition#The_Four_Essential_Freedoms
That bit about requiring app stores to query an online account to get the user's age bracket, that really concerns me.
Good thing that isn't what was passed.
Strictly speaking the text is "A developer shall request a signal with respect to a particular user from an operating system provider or a covered application store when the application is downloaded and launched" and the video didn't address the "or a covered application store" part, whatever that means.
The bill does describe what a covered app store is. Here is a link in case anyone wants to read it.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1043
“Covered application store” means a publicly available internet website, software application, online service, or platform that distributes and facilitates the download of applications from third-party developers to users of a computer, a mobile device, or any other general purpose computing that can access a covered application store or can download an application.
Meaning basically, from Apt, RPM, or Pacman.
Yup, that is what it says.
This will all depend on what the courts (assuming this even gets there) decide an application is.
Maybe we should move more towards package managers only providing libraries and utilities. And not full-blown applications. Then rely on Flatpak and appimages (or snaps :-1:) for actual apps. It would be better for security anyways.
I didn't realize it at first, but Pornhub has also been requesting device based age verification legislation.
The California law essentially allows a parent to create a child account on a device and gives a way for apps to query it.
I'm not sure what PH is asking for, but it doesn't sound like the same thing.
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A couple months ago Glock redesigned their pistols to mechanically block the ability for people to stick a cheep part in it that makes it effectively shoot full auto. About 24 hours later someone worked out a way around it.
Where there's a will, there's a way. This shit will be cracked by the end of the week it goes into effect.
Every app does not need to check your birth date. An app will be able to query if the user is within one of a few broad ranges of age (e.g. under 18), but an app only has to do that if it needs to comply with some other legislation.
that's just foot on the door.
Who exactly gains anything from forcing lets say Krita to implement an age check?
KRITA MENTIONED!
Drawing attention
lol
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Protecc the children protecc the children protect the ped...
No, it's not.
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