California decides that account creation - including Linux - needs age verification

WSS

A new California law says all operating systems, including Linux, need to have some form of age verification at account setup

The government of California is implementing a law that requires operating system providers to implement some form of age verification into their account setup procedures.

Assembly Bill No. 1043 was approved by California governor Gavin Newsom in October of last year, and becomes active on January 1, 2027 (via The Lunduke Journal). The bill states, among other factors, that "An operating system provider shall do all of the following:"

"(1) Provide an accessible interface at account setup that requires an account holder to indicate the birth date, age, or both, of the user of that device for the purpose of providing a signal regarding the user’s age bracket to applications available in a covered application store.

"(2) Provide a developer who has requested a signal with respect to a particular user with a digital signal via a reasonably consistent real-time application programming interface that identifies, at a minimum, which of the following categories pertains to the user."

The categories are broken into four sections: users under 13 years of age, over 13 years of age under 16, at least 16 years of age and under 18, and "at least 18 years of age."

https://www.pcgamer.com/software/operating-systems/a-new-california-law-says-all-operating-systems-including-linux-need-to-have-some-form-of-age-verification-at-account-setup/

lol. lmao, even.

Ympker

I guess, it's time to download existing LTS versions now.

host_c

I did not see that coming........

AnthonySmith

What......

I have to be in a simulation, this can't be real.

kako1talk

Good luck to the California government trying to enforce a KYC check on a headless Debian instance deployed via an API script.

Politicians legislating technology is always an absolute comedy show. I can't wait for the new Linux kernel patch that requires us to drink a verification can before getting sudo privileges. 😂

jarland

The only people selling Linux will probably implement it, and the ones giving it away will tell them to eat their ass 🤣

bikegremlin

cmeerw

@WSS said: need to have some form of age verification at account setup
@WSS said: an account holder to indicate the birth date, age, or both, of the user of that device

Where does it say age verification?

WSS

@cmeerw said:

@WSS said: need to have some form of age verification at account setup
@WSS said: an account holder to indicate the birth date, age, or both, of the user of that device

Where does it say age verification?

Let me google that for you.

https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1043/id/3269704

AnthonySmith

@WSS said:

@cmeerw said:

@WSS said: need to have some form of age verification at account setup
@WSS said: an account holder to indicate the birth date, age, or both, of the user of that device

Where does it say age verification?

Let me google that for you.

https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1043/id/3269704

You can google it for me, but you cant understand it for me, so, jokes on you!

havoc

Think the overall age verification trend is absolute cancer & I hate everything about that trend

...but this particular one seems ok to me

Provide an accessible interface at account setup that requires an account holder to indicate the birth date

It seems desirable to me that adults should be able to mark a device as child age during account setup. Actively enforcing "hey is this a ipad that'll be in hands of a kid" makes sense in my mind

tmntwitw

bmoto

I see a product label update coming. "This product is not to be used in the state of California".

Netralex

@kako1talk said:
Good luck to the California government trying to enforce a KYC check on a headless Debian instance deployed via an API script.

Politicians legislating technology is always an absolute comedy show. I can't wait for the new Linux kernel patch that requires us to drink a verification can before getting sudo privileges. 😂

You're have to blow into a tube to verify you're not drunk in order to use sudo. Law's luckily don't apply to me.

kako1talk

@Netralex said:

@kako1talk said:
Good luck to the California government trying to enforce a KYC check on a headless Debian instance deployed via an API script.

Politicians legislating technology is always an absolute comedy show. I can't wait for the new Linux kernel patch that requires us to drink a verification can before getting sudo privileges. 😂

You're have to blow into a tube to verify you're not drunk in order to use sudo. Law's luckily don't apply to me.

A built-in breathalyzer for sudo would actually save 90% of late-night rm -rf disasters. Maybe California is onto something here. 😂

somik

Not buying any servers in california anymore!

Netralex

@kako1talk said:

@Netralex said:

@kako1talk said:
Good luck to the California government trying to enforce a KYC check on a headless Debian instance deployed via an API script.

Politicians legislating technology is always an absolute comedy show. I can't wait for the new Linux kernel patch that requires us to drink a verification can before getting sudo privileges. 😂

You're have to blow into a tube to verify you're not drunk in order to use sudo. Law's luckily don't apply to me.

A built-in breathalyzer for sudo would actually save 90% of late-night rm -rf disasters. Maybe California is onto something here. 😂

Oh for sure man, 1 beer makes me highly productive and accurate, but a second makes me remove the french language pack no doubt.

bikegremlin

@Netralex said:

@kako1talk said:

@Netralex said:

@kako1talk said:
Good luck to the California government trying to enforce a KYC check on a headless Debian instance deployed via an API script.

Politicians legislating technology is always an absolute comedy show. I can't wait for the new Linux kernel patch that requires us to drink a verification can before getting sudo privileges. 😂

You're have to blow into a tube to verify you're not drunk in order to use sudo. Law's luckily don't apply to me.

A built-in breathalyzer for sudo would actually save 90% of late-night rm -rf disasters. Maybe California is onto something here. 😂

Oh for sure man, 1 beer makes me highly productive and accurate, but a second makes me remove the french language pack no doubt.

phrased that latter one as if it’s a bad thing.

skorous

@bikegremlin said:

@Netralex said:

@kako1talk said:

@Netralex said:

@kako1talk said:
Good luck to the California government trying to enforce a KYC check on a headless Debian instance deployed via an API script.

Politicians legislating technology is always an absolute comedy show. I can't wait for the new Linux kernel patch that requires us to drink a verification can before getting sudo privileges. 😂

You're have to blow into a tube to verify you're not drunk in order to use sudo. Law's luckily don't apply to me.

A built-in breathalyzer for sudo would actually save 90% of late-night rm -rf disasters. Maybe California is onto something here. 😂

Oh for sure man, 1 beer makes me highly productive and accurate, but a second makes me remove the french language pack no doubt.

phrased that latter one as if it’s a bad thing.

Yeah my first thought was, "so a second beer makes you 3x as productive?"

vyas

A fourth may make you reproductive.
Just check iID for age.

@skorous said:

@bikegremlin said:

@Netralex said:

@kako1talk said:

@Netralex said:

@kako1talk said:
Good luck to the California government trying to enforce a KYC check on a headless Debian instance deployed via an API script.

Politicians legislating technology is always an absolute comedy show. I can't wait for the new Linux kernel patch that requires us to drink a verification can before getting sudo privileges. 😂

You're have to blow into a tube to verify you're not drunk in order to use sudo. Law's luckily don't apply to me.

A built-in breathalyzer for sudo would actually save 90% of late-night rm -rf disasters. Maybe California is onto something here. 😂

Oh for sure man, 1 beer makes me highly productive and accurate, but a second makes me remove the french language pack no doubt.

phrased that latter one as if it’s a bad thing.

Yeah my first thought was, "so a second beer makes you 3x as productive?"

tulipyun

New California Republic?

bikegremlin

@tulipyun said:
New California Republic?

tulipyun

@bikegremlin said:

@tulipyun said:
New California Republic?

As you have unlawfully referenced images originating from after the year 2189, they will not be displayed.

somik

@tulipyun said:

@bikegremlin said:

@tulipyun said:
New California Republic?

As you have unlawfully referenced images originating from after the year 2189, they will not be displayed.

The great american empire will soon own more thæn half the world

LowEnd

So... Mandatory KYC for all providers operating in CA, US from January? XD

havoc

Absolutely cursed.

And the worst part is you know the EU and UK are going to follow suit and then pretty much every distro will need to comply.

What's that fucking north korean OS...that is starting to sound less terrible

ZizzyDizzyMC

@kako1talk said:

@Netralex said:

@kako1talk said:
Good luck to the California government trying to enforce a KYC check on a headless Debian instance deployed via an API script.

Politicians legislating technology is always an absolute comedy show. I can't wait for the new Linux kernel patch that requires us to drink a verification can before getting sudo privileges. 😂

You're have to blow into a tube to verify you're not drunk in order to use sudo. Law's luckily don't apply to me.

A built-in breathalyzer for sudo would actually save 90% of late-night rm -rf disasters. Maybe California is onto something here. 😂

I have a solid policy of "No late night sesh with the servers" and I don't even drink.

lowendmeow

Just saw this on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1rk2th7/ubuntu_is_planning_to_comply_with_age/

Was really hoping they would go the route of geoblocking CA, causing companies and their own state server infrastructure to take notice of this and push back. Really weak that they're just caving. Maybe Debian or other distros will have some spine

somik

@ZizzyDizzyMC said:
I have a solid policy of "No late night sesh with the servers" and I don't even drink.

Last night, before sleeping, i decided to upgrade my OPNsense box to latest OS/firmware version. Before proceeding, I was thinking "should i be doing this late at night with potentially staying up whole night reinstalling and reconfiguring my network if it goes wrong?", before thinking, well, better thæn doing it tomorrow morning since I have office...

Luckily nothing went wrong

havoc

@somik said:

@ZizzyDizzyMC said:
I have a solid policy of "No late night sesh with the servers" and I don't even drink.

Last night, before sleeping, i decided to upgrade my OPNsense box to latest OS/firmware version. Before proceeding, I was thinking "should i be doing this late at night with potentially staying up whole night reinstalling and reconfiguring my network if it goes wrong?", before thinking, well, better thæn doing it tomorrow morning since I have office...

Luckily nothing went wrong

I've had that roll of dice go wrong often enough to not do it.

Firewall - beginning of weekend. Far away from WFH times...

esyede

@kako1talk said:
Good luck to the California government trying to enforce a KYC check on a headless Debian instance deployed via an API script.

Politicians legislating technology is always an absolute comedy show. I can't wait for the new Linux kernel patch that requires us to drink a verification can before getting sudo privileges. 😂

somik

@esyede said:

@kako1talk said:
Good luck to the California government trying to enforce a KYC check on a headless Debian instance deployed via an API script.

Politicians legislating technology is always an absolute comedy show. I can't wait for the new Linux kernel patch that requires us to drink a verification can before getting sudo privileges. 😂

AnthonySmith

Well that's it then, who's up for starting a private internet?

No JavaScript allowed

hornet

Legally, does anyone understand the wording to mean local vs. online account? In other words, the difference between a Microsoft account vs. a local machine account (in the MS world)?

@AnthonySmith said:
Well that's it then, who's up for starting a private internet?

No JavaScript allowed

https://gmi.skyjake.fi/lagrange
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(protocol)

Let's do it!

somik

@hornet said:
Legally, does anyone understand the wording to mean local vs. online account? In other words, the difference between a Microsoft account vs. a local machine account (in the MS world)?

If you remember, unless you do some black magic (windows shell) and rebooting, you CANT sign up with a local account on a new windows install. I mean I had to look it up every time i install windows to the point i remember it as well as i remember my old windows XP cd key

@AnthonySmith said:
Well that's it thæn, who's up for starting a private internet?

No JavaScript allowed

https://gmi.skyjake.fi/lagrange
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(protocol)

Let's do it!

Step one, do not use internet routing, meaning run cables manually from house to house. VPN network security can still be broken. Same with Tor network.

I mean now a days, people can use WiFi to track people's positions from the shadows they cast!!!

As I see it, the best network that is still yet to be hacked is your dream, but I rather not meet any of you there

hornet

@somik said: If you remember, unless you do some black magic (windows shell) and rebooting, you CANT sign up with a local account on a new windows install. I mean I had to look it up every time i install windows to the point i remember it as well as i remember my old windows XP cd key

Haha! I used to have the XP key memorised!
As for the W11 local account issue, it is extremely easy to automatically bypass it without knowing or typing anything:
1. Download your W11 .ISO.
2. Download Rufus ( https://rufus.ie/en/ )
3. Create your install media and check the features:

• Automatic local account creation
• Skip TPM req.
• Skip CPU/HDD req.
• etc.

4.
5. Profit!

somik

@hornet said:

@somik said: If you remember, unless you do some black magic (windows shell) and rebooting, you CANT sign up with a local account on a new windows install. I mean I had to look it up every time i install windows to the point i remember it as well as i remember my old windows XP cd key

Haha! I used to have the XP key memorised!
As for the W11 local account issue, it is extremely easy to automatically bypass it without knowing or typing anything:
1. Download your W11 .ISO.
2. Download Rufus ( https://rufus.ie/en/ )
3. Create your install media and check the features:

• Automatic local account creation
• Skip TPM req.
• Skip CPU/HDD req.
• etc.

4.
5. Profit!

I know about rufus... Well, I knew about it... but for some reason, my brain unlinked it from windows install. Used to use rufus to create unattended installer on windows 7 i think? Thanks for the reminder. Will modify my windows 11 installer USB so I dont have to unplug and replug my ethernet cable every time I reinstall windows.

vyas

Ubuntu/Canonical folks will do anything to keep them attractive to buyers. Maybe a year or so when they have “transformed” into Linux distribution with native AI capabilities.

They already have the “Ubuntu way of Linux” in more ways than one

@lowendmeow said:
Just saw this on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1rk2th7/ubuntu_is_planning_to_comply_with_age/

Was really hoping they would go the route of geoblocking CA, causing companies and their own state server infrastructure to take notice of this and push back. Really weak that they're just caving. Maybe Debian or other distros will have some spine

yoursunny

yoursunny summer host Inc plans to conform to California age verification laws with the following methods.

For our online forms:

• When you click "agree to ToS" checkbox, you confirm that your age is either nil or a complex number.
• Our ToS cannot be opened because the server ran out of inodes, but the terms are implied in your imagination.
• If you are incapable of imagination, please go to sleep and start dreaming.

For our IPv9 VPS products:

• The adduser command has been uninstalled.
• When you access the instance, you are both the root and the guest, we don't judge.
• Peering link to the North Pole will remain active. If you choose to send packets to the North Pole, please contact Santa Claus for their policy.

somik

@yoursunny said:
yoursunny summer host Inc plans to conform to California age verification laws with the following methods.

For our online forms:

• When you click "agree to ToS" checkbox, you confirm that your age is either nil or a complex number.
• Our ToS cannot be opened because the server ran out of inodes, but the terms are implied in your imagination.
• If you are incapable of imagination, please go to sleep and start dreaming.

For our IPv9 VPS products:

• The adduser command has been uninstalled.
• When you access the instance, you are both the root and the guest, we don't judge.
• Peering link to the North Pole will remain active. If you choose to send packets to the North Pole, please contact Santa Claus for their policy.

In order to comply with the new UK Government age verification requirements, we kindly ask all users to submit the following documents before accessing the forum:

1. A clear copy of your passport
2. A copy of your national ID
3. A recent bank statement (last 3 months)
4. House ownership deeds or proof of residence
5. Marriage certificate(s), if applicable
6. Paternity test results confirming you are your father’s child
7. Maternity test results confirming you are your mother’s child
8. Attested criminal history records from every country you have ever visited, including airport layovers
9. Your own death certificate (if you have not yet died, please submit a notarized statement confirming your intent to do so eventually)

For additional verification, please also provide:

10. A notarized photo of you holding your passport while standing next to today’s newspaper, a houseplant, and a mildly confused cat
11. DNA samples from at least three grandparents (four preferred for faster processing)
12. A certified childhood report card proving you were once younger than you are now
13. Your full browsing history from 2006–2009 so we can confirm you experienced the internet at the correct age
14. A written statement from a neighbor confirming you exist and appear approximately human
15. A signed affidavit from your primary school teacher confirming you were, in fact, a child at some point
16. A geological core sample taken from the ground where you were born
17. A time-stamped baby photo with two independent witnesses present
18. Your family tree going back at least seven generations (royal lineage optional but encouraged)
19. A signed letter from your future self confirming you successfully passed this verification process

Failure to provide the above documents may delay verification by 6–8 working eternities.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and responsible online environment.

hh26

Are there going to be separate Linux distributions for California like Windows N for Europe?

esyede

@hh26 said:
Are there going to be separate Linux distributions for California like Windows N for Europe?

Something like https://hannahmontana.sourceforge.net ?

vyas

Good luck proving tha a “Child account” created in 2025 is over 18 !

hh26

@esyede said:

@hh26 said:
Are there going to be separate Linux distributions for California like Windows N for Europe?

Something like https://hannahmontana.sourceforge.net ?

I was joking, but sure! That's funny! LOL

Didn't know there was a "kids linux" out there.

AnthonySmith

I am fascinated to see how this is implemented, I can't help feeling that bypass is going to be trivial, which will no doubt start a campaign to ban Linux "for children's safety"

Also I wonder how this will spread, VPS providers need to only supply age verification compliant OS templates? Or do we become required to age verify you in advance?

Now the UK is literally considering a ban on VPNs (with all the solid logic and considerations you would expect) I am genuinely wondering how far this all goes.

I can't wait to live with @imok so this is no longer something I need to worry about.

bikegremlin

@AnthonySmith said:
I am fascinated to see how this is implemented, I can't help feeling that bypass is going to be trivial, which will no doubt start a campaign to ban Linux "for children's safety"

The idea is to gradually reduce all the freedoms and increase surveillance.
Also, nonsense laws that are easily bypassed are still useful for targetted punishment.
They won't put you in prison for criticizing the system, but for "illegal - whatever nonsensee they could pin."
And the others must keep quiet or they too could end up with something dug up against them.
While the majority is left to circumvent the law, so no mass rebellion.

Oranizing to change the system is already illegal in most countries AFAIK.

somik

@bikegremlin said:
Oranizing to change the system is already illegal in most countries AFAIK.

They had thousands of years to recognise that peasant uprising wasn't good for those sitting at the top. So to control the peasants, you need to make example of a few, quell them by giving them the scraps, and if needed, show reform by changing the figurehead representing the leader. All of this while they can munch on the lions share and control the figurehead with money and threats (carrot and the stick). And no, I am definitely not saying this about any united group of small states in the land of "freedom"

skorous

@somik said: And no, I am definitely not saying this about any united group of small states in the land of "freedom"

That's for the best since our current leader tends to take shit personally. You might've gotten lucky though since he's currently running low on missiles.

AnthonySmith

I kind of expected to see big opposition from at least a few distros, it feels like they just went... "yeah ok, np." or did I miss something?

skorous

I imagine most of them are ignoring it for now waiting to see if it gets amended, etc... right now I don't recall it having much teeth, being vague on requirements, etc...

AnthonySmith

@skorous said:
I imagine most of them are ignoring it for now waiting to see if it gets amended, etc... right now I don't recall it having much teeth, being vague on requirements, etc...

From what I understand from reddit which is always 100% there are patches and proposals going in now to essentially build in login age gates and also at an app level, for maintainers to hook into the age gating for launching apps, it feels like I am living in a parallel universe....