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

[wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems]

@k3ym0 some are. systemd already merged a corresponding change from the same contributor.

[k3ym0@infosec.exchange]

@wwahammy can’t we fork it prior to that commit and maintain a separate fork?

[wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems]

@k3ym0 could it be done theoretically? Sure. But on systemd, that'd be a huge task to maintain. And the systemd folks say "oh, this PR is just an optional part of the user account system, we're just making a common API for anyone who wants to add it for any reason".

They build the tracks and plead innocence as to what is in the trains.

[yrrsinn@chaos.social]

@wwahammy @k3ym0

I found this a good write-up https://www.sambent.com/the-engineer-who-tried-to-put-age-verification-into-linux-5/

[artemis@climatejustice.social]

@wwahammy why the fuck are people complying in advance? Where is the commitment to software freedom?

[wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems]

@artemis I don't know why.

And I'd say "why are people complying at all?".

[gnoll110@ruby.social]

@wwahammy

Ok, everyone, we're all born on 01-01-1970!

[wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems]

@gnoll110 I know that's a common attitude but in effect, kids who are honest get harmed by their computer. The operating system of a computer should never be designed to purposely harm you. I don't think that's the case anymore with Linux if this nonsense becomes a reality.

[gnoll110@ruby.social]

@wwahammy

The whole thing is a Trojan horse.

That goal, destroying any remaining anonymity, and thus damaging freedom of speech and the ability to speak truth to power.

[dalias@hachyderm.io]

@wwahammy @artemis Everyone involves in proposing and merging these needs to be deemed untrustworthy and unwelcome in real FOSS.

[wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems]

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

[wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems]

@gnoll110 1000% agree. We need to fight this shit with our last breath.

[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 It's not going to be repealed.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.

[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.

[martyb4@mastodon.social]

@wwahammy I'm 66. Hope the applications operate slowly and speak more clearly. Also, stay off my lawn

[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?

[dalias@hachyderm.io]

@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.

[frumble@chaos.social]

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

[wwahammy@social.treehouse.systems]

@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?

[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