this post was submitted on 23 May 2026
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For those interested on the question of age verification and GNU/Linux: be aware that Systemd v261-rc1 was recently released. It now implements an optional birth date field in the JSON user database (see second item under "Other changes").

The implementation of this field was prompted by age-verification or -attestation laws.

(Age-verification status of Open Source Operating Systems.)

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[–] lambipapp@lemmy.world 67 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] M33@piefed.world 8 points 1 month ago
[–] shweddy@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago
[–] excel@lemming.megumin.org 50 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Yes, right next to the fields for your full name and address, all of which are optional. It’s a total nothingburger.

[–] TheMadBeagle@lemmy.ml 26 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Did you ignore the comment in the github where it, and I quote "Stores the user's birth date for age verification, as required by recent laws in California (AB-1043), Colorado (SB26-051), Brazil (Lei 15.211/2025), etc.". Yes it is optional NOW, but this is in preparation of laws that make it legally Mandatory. Don't down play this.

[–] excel@lemming.megumin.org 3 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

Miss me with this "slippery slope" BS.
Having a standardized place to store the DOB is a good thing and it should have been there even before these laws.
And if some users want to comply with those laws, then they should have a way to do it.
If anybody actually tries to make this a hard requirement (which isn't going to happen), then you can bitch about it at that time.

[–] froufox@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 4 weeks ago

This. If someone would force it, people make a fork without that bullshit

[–] Mordikan@kbin.earth 3 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

California's AB-1043 already passed, so we get to bitch about it now. Thanks for your support.

[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 3 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Oh so you are now forced to fill in the field?

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[–] xohshoo@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

Just like the room number when using the adduser command

[–] vagrancyand@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago (10 children)

Yeah just because they build cages for kids in the desert near the border doesn't mean anything's going to happen! It's just optional infrastructure in case you want to put your kids in a cage. It's totally voluntary.

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[–] M33@piefed.world 24 points 1 month ago (8 children)

It’s sad because at some point, when mainstream browsers will actually rely on systemd for that, website will block you.

Given enough time and ressources, that age control will hit hard like DRM.

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[–] AndrewZabar@lemmy.world 22 points 1 month ago (10 children)

Could someone explain to me why numerous Linux development groups are jumping on board with this bullshit? This is I think the third such post I've read that a distro or however you call it, is integrating the age check. Since when does the Linux community get on board with Big Brother????

[–] girsaysdoom@sh.itjust.works 30 points 1 month ago (2 children)

A surprising amount of people in the open source community lean alt-right including the lead dev of systemd, some of FUTO, and others like hyprland, etc. Others like the actual dev that committed the age field code to systemd state they are apolitical but in reality are actually enabling those that want to do harm.

[–] spicehoarder@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 month ago

There's a breed of incel who benefits from power tripping in community projects. Think reddit mods.

[–] northmaple1984@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

This attack is no limited to "alt-right", it is across the political spectrum. Ex. there are plenty of lefty states implementing these laws.

Authoritarian is still authoritarianism whether it's from left or right.

(I'd also argue that software development is generally filled with leftists, I think the recent rise of prominent right-leaning developers is in reponse to many projects forgoing politically neutrality)

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[–] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 21 points 1 month ago (1 children)
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[–] thingsiplay@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 month ago (3 children)

This is the end. Everyone switch to FreeBSD.

[–] racoon@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It is the year of FreeBSD on both the desktop and the server

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[–] PseudoSpock@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 month ago

Been there. It sucked.

[–] flying_sheep@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 month ago

LMAO, good one!

[–] RalfWausE_der_zwote@feddit.org 4 points 1 month ago (38 children)

Be aware that there are still distros out there which *doesn't * subscribe to that madness... Devuan and Artix to name just two for starters

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[–] Frenchgeek@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Is the default value set to "True"?

[–] A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip 7 points 1 month ago

Possibly 0 (zero) which would default to January 1, 1970.

Why would an optional field have a default value? Shouldn't it just be unset?

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[–] SocialistVibes01@lemmy.ml 3 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

It seems systemd is also enshittifying flatpaks. Those damned Gnome devs man, I can't.

There are still a few old school distros, like PCLOS, that never implemented systemd because the devs didn't trust its centralization.

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