Damn 😱 imaging not being able to download your OS because of where you live right now ...

[knapjack@snac.gruntle.cc]

@nixCraft@mastodon.social Looks like: https://natlawreview.com/article/california-introduces-new-age-verification-requirements-software-applications

[gvenema@fairmove.net]

@_elena @nixCraft

Yep. It is real.

California introduces age verification law for all operating systems, including Linux and SteamOS — user age verified during OS account setup

AB 1043 also requires OS providers to pipe a real-time age checker to every app developer who requests it.

Tom's Hardware (www.tomshardware.com)

[_elena@mastodon.social]

@knapjack

[luca@sironi.xyz]

@_elena @nixCraft

Theoretically yes, that's exactly what that stupid California law says.

Windows, macOS, Linux—all operating systems.

It'll be interesting to see how they think this could ever be implemented in practice.

After smartphones, they're trying to screw up computers too.

Better to take care of our hardware

[gwentlarry@mastodon.social]

@nixCraft

VPN?

[_elena@mastodon.social]

@luca Im shocked this is coming from California! Texas or Alabama or Georgia, ok, but California?!? Nothing more dystopian than this

[slayer256@social.vivaldi.net]

@nixCraft This will blow over like all the covid laws and be deemed unlawful sooner rather than later if no one just jumps on board. Use a virtual machine to access social if you use em. For anything open source any programmer worth a lil salt can setup a fake age system and we all know kids learn fast

[luca@sironi.xyz]

@_elena

I have an idea to protect kids too.
You must prove your age to use the microwave oven, that's a dangerous tool

(Grazie commodore 64, ti ho voluto bene)

[gvenema@fairmove.net]

@_elena @nixCraft

And this is going to get progressively worse. "Democratic" governments the world over, who are rapidly losing the confidence of their populations, are discovering age-gating as the dreamed of prybar to insert authoritarian control into every nook and cranny of all the devices and networks we use to communicate with each other.

Because, think of the kids! Yeah, well, if you really want to think about kids then maybe the world's adults should make some better life decisions.

[agowa338@chaos.social]

@penguintrinity @nixCraft

We know, you're preaching to the choir.

[aligorith@mastodon.nz]

@MxAlba @nixCraft
Even more tangential reading:
The legal notice on the download page serves as the age gate: "Do not download if you're a Valley Kid"

[hnapel@mastodon.social]

@nixCraft

Bad, the progressive nature of California has overreacted, the 'protect the children' gang had a win, but it will be for the worse. How is Mila?

[mdfffcom@mastodon.social]

@nixCraft omg what does it have to do with installing OS

[trimtab@mastodon.social]

@nixCraft
It isn't age verification garbage by some dummy politicians.

It is an evil scam to further normalize privacy erosions, entrench established power and complete the authoritarian controls of the corporate serfdom system we call a government.

Know your enemy. They are far more organized and focused on power than anyone gives them credit for.

[stroughtonsmith@mastodon.social]

@nixCraft just wait a few years and that will be everywhere. Age verification (which is almost certainly coming, globally) might just push non-corporate-sponsored OSes out of the market entirely

[raptor85@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@nixCraft It's crazy how many terrible laws managed to quickly sneak through the system while everyone was getting shot at and protesting. Here in MN they also snuck in opening up mining in state parks and BWCA while half our population was literally choking on tear gas and out on the streets.

[raptor85@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@_elena @luca I'm not, Silicon Valley has loads of money for lobbying, this is straight up a gift to them they pushed through while there was so much going on nobody would be looking. CA (especially LA county) may be pretty left leaning but the leadership is pretty much always centrist/corporatist dem, companies like Disney/Google/Apple/etc pretty much always get what they ask for. The only reason texas didn't do it first is because the companies that will make money from this aren't HQ there

[lwriemen@social.librem.one]

@_elena @luca Former POTUS Reagan came out of California, and he was the match that lit this fascist fire. California has a long history of right wing bullshit, which is why the Dead Kennedys wrote the song, California Uber Alles.
#DumbAllOver

[alephoto85@fedi.bobadin.icu]

@_elena @nixCraft

https://www.midnightbsd.org/download/

Yes

[bolomkxxviii@mastodon.social]

@freekymage @nixCraft
How would "live" distros be affected? If the OS is running off of a flash drive, not installed, and no user account is created, are they exempt? If so, it blows a big hole in the effectiveness of this law. Little Billy can just boot off a flash drive and watch his p0rn.