this post was submitted on 26 May 2026
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Other open source software gets similar treatment, with Colorado going as far as explicitly excluding code repositories and container platforms.

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[–] echodot@feddit.uk 4 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

So what's the point in the bill then? They're prepared to accept that open source solutions don't have to implement it then they have to accept that the whole idea is daft anyway.

[–] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Not exactly. They can always take this one step further and make it more difficult to use anything but closed OSs for fundamental applications, like banking. It could come via an ID requirement where authentication goes through some complicated process with proprietary hardware and drivers. That could also come in phases, such as mandating all desktop/laptop distributors require it prior to distribution. Then the tech giants can market it like, “never require a password again, if you have…” effectively marketing back the convenience they helped take. Sooner or later, it’s a piece of shit system that banks and jobs rely on, everybody ends up accepting it while complaining that it makes a terrible password for obvious reasons (ref: your Social Security card).

[–] Holytimes@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 hour ago

In a perfect world this means that closed ecosystem operating systems. Like windows, Mac and android. Who have an unfair amount of control and power over their customer base. Will be held to a higher standard by the law.

Since the potential for abuse is higher with windows or android then say arch or fedora.

That increased control should come at a downside of increased responsibility. There's nothing stopping Microsoft or Google from releasing control and becoming more transparent in theory.

So if everything was in magical fairy land. This sort of enforced liability would push software towards more open standards with less burden of responsibility on the creators and more responsibility on the user.

Since really that's where the responsibility should mostly be. It should be the user or parents of the user who decide how a system is used. And it should be the users responsibility to ensure they are adhering to laws and regulations.

[–] No1@aussie.zone 26 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Waiting for....

403 Unauthorized

We're sorry, your browser has not provided us with age verification, and so we are unable to show you our cat videos.

Reason:
User agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 10; K) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/148.0.0.0 Mobile Safari/537.36

[–] goatinspace@feddit.org 5 points 8 hours ago
[–] Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 88 points 15 hours ago

Its not enough. Eradicate the bills.

[–] dance_ninja@lemmy.world 73 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

It's not really a win though. It just means Linux will get blocked by platforms.

[–] IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works 40 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

The fun part of open source is that someone smarter than me will inevitably just update the existing spoofing tools to include whatever checks those platforms are using.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 2 points 3 hours ago

A number of VPNs have tools to let you spoof browser IDs. It's useful if you want to access YouTube and pretend you're on Chrome to get better performance.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 8 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Hopefully it is as easy as saying the user is an adult without storing anything. It won't be, but that would be nice.

[–] IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works 7 points 11 hours ago

Gonna be a whole lot of people born on Jan 1, 1970

[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 18 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

Fuck the platforms. We'll make our own.

[–] USSEthernet@startrek.website 3 points 7 hours ago

With Blackjack and Hookers

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 14 hours ago

We're literally on one "we" made on our own right now. So yeah, exactly, we'll make our own. With blackjack... and hookers. In fact forget the platforms.

[–] njordomir@lemmy.world 9 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I haven't heard anyone saying they want to take this to a referendum in Colorado. If we collect enough signatures, the bill has to go on the November ballot and we can collectively vote it down as a state. Even if we lose, it might buy us time.

Why is no one talking about this? Why is there no info about anyone doing anything right now? All I see are daily threads about how we should do something.

[–] other_cat@piefed.zip 1 points 9 hours ago

Because it's difficult, confusing, or sometimes both. I'm not from CO so I can't speak to whether or not that part is confusing or not (though I'd not be surprised if the average citizen wasn't even aware this was an option for them.) The hard part would be that you have to collect signatures which eats up time.

Which isn't to say you shouldn't do it. I think it's a great idea!

[–] chrash0@lemmy.world 53 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

oh wow gee thank you for not… [checks notes]… forcing open source developers to write state mandated spyware without compensation

[–] ImgurRefugee114@reddthat.com 19 points 15 hours ago

"Thank you for not forcing me to participate in your getting-kicked-in-the-balls program... But perhaps just don't?"

[–] Miller@lemmy.world 8 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

I would not accuse the legislators of any decency of thought only that open source would be far harder to police due to its more nebulous and intermingled path to the client with far less money at the end of it.

[–] IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works 7 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

There may have also been some big money lobbyists from companies like Google, Amazon, etc, that pointed out how much money it would have cost their poor shareholders to implement.

[–] Miller@lemmy.world 11 points 13 hours ago

The entire dynamic is off somehow, so age verification is for the safety of children but won't be implemented on some platforms for reasons that are by extension more pressing than child safety, as if such reasons might exist. It is almost like age verification is actually nothing to do with child safety.

[–] eestileib@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 15 hours ago