California moves to exempt Linux from its age-verification law after backlash (tomshardware.com)

Article summary

California lawmakers have proposed an amendment to exempt most open-source operating systems, including Linux, from the state's upcoming Digital Age Assurance Act, which requires operating systems to collect users' ages. The amendment would exclude software distributed under licenses that allow users to copy, redistribute, and modify the software. This move comes after backlash from privacy advocates and Linux developers, who argued that the original law was too broad and could force open-source operating systems to become age-verification platforms. The exemption would likely apply to most mainstream Linux distributions, but commercial platforms like SteamOS may still be subject to the law.

Main themes

• Age verification laws
• Open-source operating systems
• Linux exemption
• Digital Age Assurance Act
• Privacy concerns
• Regulation of technology

What commenters say

• The age verification law is pointless and useless unless it can be verified by other means, as users can easily provide false information.
• Exempting open-source operating systems from the law is a good step, but it may not be enough to address the underlying concerns about privacy and surveillance.
• The law could create a loophole for companies to avoid compliance by claiming their operating systems are open-source, while still restricting installations or functionality.
• A simpler solution to age verification would be to have websites add a header to indicate potential adult content, which browsers could then detect and prompt for a local password to access the site.
• The real goal of the law is not to protect children, but to enable surveillance and control of the population, and any attempts to simplify or opt out of the system would be resisted.
• The law is an overreach of government authority and could lead to unintended consequences, such as fining or shutting down websites that inadvertently allow minors to access adult content.
• The focus should be on enabling device admins to better control local device behavior, rather than relying on third-party solutions or official registries.
• The RTA header is not a sufficient solution for most websites, as it may not be compatible with search engines like Google or may not provide enough flexibility for different types of content.