this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2026
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California introduces age verification law for all operating systems, including Linux and SteamOS — user age verified during OS account setup (www.tomshardware.com)
submitted 1 day ago by Amoxtli@thelemmy.club to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] dev_null@lemmy.ml 8 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

How is Linux going to do this? There’s no server for the os to send the information to report the age of its users

The law doesn't require sending the data anywhere, so that's not a problem.

no way of forcing its user base to comply and no single person or entity to fine, arrest or otherwise force into compliance.

The law doesn't require anything of users, it requires something of OS providers. OS providers have addresses and entities to fine.

[–] Digit@lemmy.wtf 1 points 1 hour ago

No addresses or entities tied to the distro respins I've made.

That was not a requirement in the software license.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

The law doesn't require anything of users, it requires something of OS providers.

For a FOSS OS, any user with root access would be considered an "OS Provider" under the definitions provided in this law. With FOSS, there is no real distinction between "user" and "developer".

[–] dev_null@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

You are right, it just says whoever "controls the OS", which is very vague. Even without going to open source, a user still controls the OS even on Windows or macOS. To a lesser degree of course, but in the same way a driver controls a car even if they can't or won't try to modify it.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 1 points 1 hour ago

The windows user uses the OS. The windows user does not control the OS. They only have access to the functions that Microsoft has provided. The Attorney General of California won't be able to argue that the sysadmin is the OS Provider of a Windows installation. The OS Provider of Windows is Microsoft.

The Attorney General of California would easily be able to argue that the OS Provider of a particular Linux instance is the sysadmin of that instance.