this post was submitted on 15 Apr 2026
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Companies are already required to ask if their users are kids because, among other reasons, there are laws against creating ad profiles for kids, and companies have been sued for doing this even accidentally. The California law just changes how they're required to check if they're a kid from asking them at account creation to asking the OS at account creation, where the parents have set the age for them when the OS account was created. It gives the company checking if they're a kid no more information than they had before. I agree with Havoc8154@mander.xyz that this is totally reasonable.
This particular federal bill, on the other hand seems closer to the Florida bill in that it requires some form of age verification instead of just accepting what the parents enter when creating the OS account. That is unreasonable. Complain to your representative, and we'll see how it gets amended.
If the companies already have to do this, then what is the point of the OS asking for more personal notifying information than it needs just to operate? Thank beyond the seemingly “simplicity” of this and think how it can be used against you. Then decide if it’s rational. People thought the patriot act was a great idea after 911… They were wrong.
Because for the purpose of securing kids accounts, it doesn't make sense for the kids to enter their ages themselves each time they create an account at a new website.
Tell me how it can be used against me. It doesn't give out any information beyond what I let it give out about me, and that information (an age range) is derived from information I get to make up. Remember, the California law doesn't require any verification of the age data that is given to the OS.
https://youtu.be/beZAkeJcv80
He said exactly the same thing I said: laws like the California one that don't require age verification are fine.