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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

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What is really likely to happen to you if you use an OS that doesn't comply with age verification laws. (lemmy.today)

submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by 1dalm@lemmy.today to c/linux@lemmy.ml

83 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Okay you are ready to take a stand for freedom!

You are going to use an OS that isn't going to bend the knee and comply with age verification laws. I solute you, comrade!

Here are the likely consequences of your choice:

The Feds aren't coming after you. You aren't going to be out on a watch list.

What will likely happen is that if you try to log into your Facebook account you will get a message that says "Your Operating System is not currently supported. Your user experience will be limited to Groups labeled "Everyone"."

That's basically it. Your personal user experience will be limited to "kid friendly" areas of the Internet. (Same with apps and games.)

That's the real driver of these laws. Facebook and other app producers know that the days where they can just shrug off child predators using their products is coming to and end. Regardless of your opinion on age verification is as a solution, child predators are a real world problem and it's not just the parents fault. The platforms have some responsibility too.

Which is exactly what Facebook and the others specifically don't want -responsibility for their own platforms. That's why they are pushing for these laws that off load their responsibility onto the OS makers. Then they can just say "Oh, we don't have any responsibility for this child being abused in our platform. We asked the OS what the user's age was and the OS reported 18+. What else could we have done?"

So, that's the consequence of you choose to use an OS that refuses to comply. You'll just be relegated to the kid friendly version of website, games, and applications.

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[–] 1dalm@lemmy.today 0 points 2 days ago

It reeks of a coordinated agenda,

It is a coordinated agenda, just not a secret one like people want to think. It's being pushed by Meta and a string of popular app makers and games to avoid having to be responsible for their own platforms.

Therefore, some Fediverse instances, may end up implementing age checking, or stopping altogether if they can’t afford the additional costs of age checking.

That's a strange argument to me. That's exactly what Meta is intending to prevent from having to do by pushing these laws. If countries and states pass laws like the California law specifically, then no fediverse instance will need to worry about age verification. They just ask the user's browser to ask the OS. California's version of the law would really help small businesses and small developers, because it puts all the child protection responsibility onto the OS.

Now, regarding the “kid friendly” limitation: if the Web gets limited to “non-adult content”… what’s “adult content” to begin with?

In this case, "kid friendly content" becomes "any content that the website wants to be responsible and liable for letting users that report being <18 have access to".