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  3. A small set of people are merging changes to various Linux components to make sure every application knows your birth date.

A small set of people are merging changes to various Linux components to make sure every application knows your birth date.

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  • smn@l3ib.orgS smn@l3ib.org

    @artemis @wwahammy this isn't complying in advance, it's complying with the law. Which passed unanimously through the California assembly and senate and was signed into law by Gavin Newsom in 2025. It's not going to be repealed.

    Open source projects do not have the type of budget that allows them to merely ignore the law and shrug off fines and legal fees.

    wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
    wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
    wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems
    wrote last edited by
    #18

    @smn @artemis do you think Desktop Linux as it currently exists complies with every law in every jurisdiction? Because I'm pretty sure it doesn't.

    There's already strong discussion on significant amendments on the law. The Governor signed it and pointed out is was impractical and needed to be amended.

    Do you really think the AG of California is going to sue *random Linux distro with almost no money* over this?

    wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW 1 Reply Last reply
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    • wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems

      @dalias @artemis 1000% agree. It's shameful.

      dalias@hachyderm.ioD This user is from outside of this forum
      dalias@hachyderm.ioD This user is from outside of this forum
      dalias@hachyderm.io
      wrote last edited by
      #19

      @wwahammy @artemis Like seriously. Even if you weren't going to consider complying with this unthinkable, adopting something like this that's a policy matter should be a process that requires a proposal and feedback from the community, with a long enough time window for that to happen. Not rushed-through changes by shadowy actors who show up just to do what some malicious external authority demands.

      1 Reply Last reply
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      • artemis@climatejustice.socialA artemis@climatejustice.social

        @smn @wwahammy I don't understand how California gets to mandate this. People can download software from wherever they want. Host your project outside of California.

        frumble@chaos.socialF This user is from outside of this forum
        frumble@chaos.socialF This user is from outside of this forum
        frumble@chaos.social
        wrote last edited by
        #20

        @artemis @smn @wwahammy What if you are Californian? Could get you in legal trouble.

        wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW grayrattus@mastodon.socialG goss@c.imG 3 Replies Last reply
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        • wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems

          @smn @artemis do you think Desktop Linux as it currently exists complies with every law in every jurisdiction? Because I'm pretty sure it doesn't.

          There's already strong discussion on significant amendments on the law. The Governor signed it and pointed out is was impractical and needed to be amended.

          Do you really think the AG of California is going to sue *random Linux distro with almost no money* over this?

          wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
          wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
          wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems
          wrote last edited by
          #21

          @smn @artemis if they did do this, how do you think the AG of California could prove by a preponderance of the evidence how many children used the OS? Because you need prove that to set the fines. How would they do that for a distro that has no continuing relationship with the users?

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • artemis@climatejustice.socialA artemis@climatejustice.social

            @smn @wwahammy I don't understand how California gets to mandate this. People can download software from wherever they want. Host your project outside of California.

            S This user is from outside of this forum
            S This user is from outside of this forum
            shadsterling@mastodon.social
            wrote last edited by
            #22

            @artemis @smn @wwahammy a few have updated their licenses to exclude uses in jurisdictions with those requirements. Not sure what California could do if they caught you using an OS not licensed to use in CA, but while they might be able to punish the user they can’t touch the provider

            wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW artemis@climatejustice.socialA 2 Replies Last reply
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            • S shadsterling@mastodon.social

              @artemis @smn @wwahammy a few have updated their licenses to exclude uses in jurisdictions with those requirements. Not sure what California could do if they caught you using an OS not licensed to use in CA, but while they might be able to punish the user they can’t touch the provider

              wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
              wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
              wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems
              wrote last edited by
              #23

              @ShadSterling @artemis @smn while understandable, that's not a good solution. I don't think we should trade one freedom away for another.

              The whole thing needs to be stopped. Period. No compromise, no surrender.

              artemis@climatejustice.socialA S 2 Replies Last reply
              0
              • frumble@chaos.socialF frumble@chaos.social

                @artemis @smn @wwahammy What if you are Californian? Could get you in legal trouble.

                wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
                wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
                wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems
                wrote last edited by
                #24

                @frumble @artemis @smn how? Why would the AG of California just decide to sue some random person?

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • S shadsterling@mastodon.social

                  @artemis @smn @wwahammy a few have updated their licenses to exclude uses in jurisdictions with those requirements. Not sure what California could do if they caught you using an OS not licensed to use in CA, but while they might be able to punish the user they can’t touch the provider

                  artemis@climatejustice.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                  artemis@climatejustice.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                  artemis@climatejustice.social
                  wrote last edited by
                  #25

                  @ShadSterling @smn @wwahammy it's a nightmare. What's particular irking me rn is that the 'Freedom' brigade that have been SO vocal during the height of covid are now totally silent on draconian laws that will actually limit real freedom of speech. (surprise, surprise).

                  wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW 1 Reply Last reply
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                  • artemis@climatejustice.socialA artemis@climatejustice.social

                    @ShadSterling @smn @wwahammy it's a nightmare. What's particular irking me rn is that the 'Freedom' brigade that have been SO vocal during the height of covid are now totally silent on draconian laws that will actually limit real freedom of speech. (surprise, surprise).

                    wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
                    wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
                    wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems
                    wrote last edited by
                    #26

                    @artemis @ShadSterling @smn I mean, they're backing it.

                    artemis@climatejustice.socialA 1 Reply Last reply
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                    • wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems

                      A small set of people are merging changes to various Linux components to make sure every application knows your birth date.

                      This is being done rapidly by people with unclear motivations and being merged with no youth and few marginalized people involved.

                      Link Preview Image
                      user: Add BirthDate with polkit-gated GetBirthDate and SetBirthDate methods (!176) · Merge requests · accountsservice / accountsservice · GitLab

                      Summary Add a BirthDate field to the user account interface. For non-homed users, the value is stored...

                      favicon

                      GitLab (gitlab.freedesktop.org)

                      drwho@masto.hackers.townD This user is from outside of this forum
                      drwho@masto.hackers.townD This user is from outside of this forum
                      drwho@masto.hackers.town
                      wrote last edited by
                      #27

                      @wwahammy Of course, the "spam" they're talking about is people signing up to tell them that this is madness.

                      1 Reply Last reply
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                      • wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems

                        @ShadSterling @artemis @smn while understandable, that's not a good solution. I don't think we should trade one freedom away for another.

                        The whole thing needs to be stopped. Period. No compromise, no surrender.

                        artemis@climatejustice.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                        artemis@climatejustice.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                        artemis@climatejustice.social
                        wrote last edited by
                        #28

                        @wwahammy @ShadSterling @smn we are rapidly getting to a point (some would argue past a point) where resistance, for us white folks who've had little skin in the game, is going to mean real consequences and confronting the fact that the law is an ass.

                        1 Reply Last reply
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                        • wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems

                          @artemis @ShadSterling @smn I mean, they're backing it.

                          artemis@climatejustice.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                          artemis@climatejustice.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                          artemis@climatejustice.social
                          wrote last edited by
                          #29

                          @wwahammy @ShadSterling @smn well yeah. Slightly different from where I sit (in Australia, having seen the 'sovereign citizens' on the socials, whining about face masks and traffic violations, rather than the political figures. They're just absent. )

                          1 Reply Last reply
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                          • smn@l3ib.orgS smn@l3ib.org

                            @artemis @wwahammy this isn't complying in advance, it's complying with the law. Which passed unanimously through the California assembly and senate and was signed into law by Gavin Newsom in 2025. It's not going to be repealed.

                            Open source projects do not have the type of budget that allows them to merely ignore the law and shrug off fines and legal fees.

                            crypticrainfall@app.wafrn.netC This user is from outside of this forum
                            crypticrainfall@app.wafrn.netC This user is from outside of this forum
                            crypticrainfall@app.wafrn.net
                            wrote last edited by
                            #30

                            "It's not going to be repealed," ok, but like, can we? Can we build a plan to get this reversed? I'm about to complain on the daily to my state reps, because I sure as hell didn't ask them to pass it, and they sure as hell didn't let me know this was even in the works.

                            If I got backing, I'd even do the work of getting a prop going to repeal this, I'm not even joking. Or should some other options be explored first? Is anyone else taking these steps? Can anyone hear me? Where is the pushback against this?

                            smn@l3ib.orgS bstacey@icosahedron.websiteB 2 Replies Last reply
                            0
                            • wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems

                              A small set of people are merging changes to various Linux components to make sure every application knows your birth date.

                              This is being done rapidly by people with unclear motivations and being merged with no youth and few marginalized people involved.

                              Link Preview Image
                              user: Add BirthDate with polkit-gated GetBirthDate and SetBirthDate methods (!176) · Merge requests · accountsservice / accountsservice · GitLab

                              Summary Add a BirthDate field to the user account interface. For non-homed users, the value is stored...

                              favicon

                              GitLab (gitlab.freedesktop.org)

                              rootwyrm@weird.autosR This user is from outside of this forum
                              rootwyrm@weird.autosR This user is from outside of this forum
                              rootwyrm@weird.autos
                              wrote last edited by
                              #31

                              @wwahammy these are definitely not unknown people. I guarantee you every single fucking one of them is a Meta or Google employee.

                              wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW 1 Reply Last reply
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                              • rootwyrm@weird.autosR rootwyrm@weird.autos

                                @wwahammy these are definitely not unknown people. I guarantee you every single fucking one of them is a Meta or Google employee.

                                wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
                                wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
                                wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems
                                wrote last edited by
                                #32

                                @rootwyrm as far as I know, I don't think they are.

                                rootwyrm@weird.autosR 1 Reply Last reply
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                                • wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems

                                  @rootwyrm as far as I know, I don't think they are.

                                  rootwyrm@weird.autosR This user is from outside of this forum
                                  rootwyrm@weird.autosR This user is from outside of this forum
                                  rootwyrm@weird.autos
                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #33

                                  @wwahammy there's no fucking way that these commits are not directly linked to Meta and their ilk. Absolutely none at all. These are the only companies besides IBM with the staff, and the only ones with the vested interest, as well as a LONG history of hiding, minimizing, or straight up lying about their involvement in things.
                                  If the IPs aren't from Meta's ASN, they're employees using their home connection again, something the company has ordered them to do for breaking the law for example.

                                  wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW 1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • rootwyrm@weird.autosR rootwyrm@weird.autos

                                    @wwahammy there's no fucking way that these commits are not directly linked to Meta and their ilk. Absolutely none at all. These are the only companies besides IBM with the staff, and the only ones with the vested interest, as well as a LONG history of hiding, minimizing, or straight up lying about their involvement in things.
                                    If the IPs aren't from Meta's ASN, they're employees using their home connection again, something the company has ordered them to do for breaking the law for example.

                                    wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
                                    wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
                                    wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems
                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #34

                                    @rootwyrm sadly, I think it's mostly people who genuinely believe they're doing the right thing. They're 100% wrong.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
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                                    • wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems

                                      @ShadSterling @artemis @smn while understandable, that's not a good solution. I don't think we should trade one freedom away for another.

                                      The whole thing needs to be stopped. Period. No compromise, no surrender.

                                      S This user is from outside of this forum
                                      S This user is from outside of this forum
                                      shadsterling@mastodon.social
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #35

                                      @wwahammy @artemis @smn it does, but I don’t think that license change is meant to be a whole solution, and I’m not sure what better thing those orgs could do.

                                      Until it is stopped, maybe it would be better if the ones not located in California just ignored it; it’s not like they can impose California law on the entire world

                                      1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • frumble@chaos.socialF frumble@chaos.social

                                        @artemis @smn @wwahammy What if you are Californian? Could get you in legal trouble.

                                        grayrattus@mastodon.socialG This user is from outside of this forum
                                        grayrattus@mastodon.socialG This user is from outside of this forum
                                        grayrattus@mastodon.social
                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #36

                                        @frumble @artemis @smn @wwahammy Ok. Now I'm actually concerned of USA. Are you people there OK? Like slowly your country moves to China like spy land. 😞

                                        wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW 1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • grayrattus@mastodon.socialG grayrattus@mastodon.social

                                          @frumble @artemis @smn @wwahammy Ok. Now I'm actually concerned of USA. Are you people there OK? Like slowly your country moves to China like spy land. 😞

                                          wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
                                          wwahammy@social.treehouse.systemsW This user is from outside of this forum
                                          wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems
                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #37

                                          @grayrattus @frumble @artemis @smn no, we're fucking not. But it doesn't help that big companies are pushing these policies either.

                                          grayrattus@mastodon.socialG 1 Reply Last reply
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