this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2026
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[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 269 points 3 weeks ago (12 children)

Simple solution. From now on Linux distros should ship with a big message "NOT FOR USE IN CALIFORNIA".

You want to force age verification? No server in all of California will run. Period.

[–] FartMaster69@lemmy.dbzer0.com 73 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)
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[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 31 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

"My name is Microsoft, and I approved this message."

[–] Peruvian_Skies@sh.itjust.works 24 points 3 weeks ago (11 children)

Microsoft's own servers run Linux. An in-house build IIRC named Azure Linux.

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[–] aReallyCrunchyLeaf@lemmy.ml 231 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

So now when I spin up a VM at my sysadmin job I have to tell the server I'm an adult? Does anyone actually know what the fuck we are doing here? What an absolute clown show.

[–] zewm@lemmy.world 159 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

This is what happens when boomers never die and stay in office for a lifetime. They don’t understand technology but are allowed to make the laws that govern their use.

[–] a4ng3l@lemmy.world 52 points 3 weeks ago

Nha boomers are not the cause for this shit. Smart ass marketeers and tech bro pushing for more precise target identification and thus more reach for them are to blame. And those I stumble upon are definitely on the younger side.

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[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 107 points 3 weeks ago (9 children)

How will this affect embedded os like freertos or vxworks? There are lightbulbs that have operating systems these days, am I going to have to show ID to turn on my light?

[–] themurphy@lemmy.ml 25 points 3 weeks ago

My guess would be these OS's just wont do it and stop doing business in that state.

Lucky for you, you can just download them anyway.

My guess is also that these lawmakers dont care nor considered other OS's than Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android.

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[–] ZoDoneRightNow@kbin.earth 98 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

uhhh. So would I need to get everyone who uses the household pc to verify age? Whats stopping a child from using the family pc that was age verified by an adult?

[–] loie@lemmy.world 82 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Believe it or not, straight to jail

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[–] orange_narange@lemmy.org 32 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Clearly the point is not tl verify the age. They want your data.

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[–] CorrectAlias@piefed.blahaj.zone 96 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

Despite signing it, Newsom issued a statement urging the legislature to amend the law before its effective date, citing concerns from streaming services and game developers about "complexities such as multi-user accounts shared by a family member and user profiles utilized across multiple devices."

Then why the fuck did you sign it if it wasn't ready and needed amendments? Is this what you're going to do as president too?

Rhetorical, of course. Note how he doesn't say he disagrees with the bill, just that it needed to consider family devices.

If this is who wins the primary, we are done. We're basically already done, for sure, but him winning the primary would be the final nail in the coffin.

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[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 93 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (5 children)

Our president is fucking children, and you're telling me I gotta verify my date of birth to run Linux, in the name of "Protecting the Children"?

Get the fuck outta here.

[–] dellish@lemmy.world 24 points 3 weeks ago

They've gotta know if you're fuckable.

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[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 71 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Why not parents responsible for their own goddamn kids? Stop interfering with the rest of our privacy for this bullshit. Parental controls have existed for decades. Fucking use them.

[–] btsax@reddthat.com 53 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Because this isn't about parenting or children, it's about a creeping surveillance state

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[–] tidderuuf@lemmy.world 71 points 3 weeks ago (17 children)

Wow California leading the way to fascism, who woulda thunk?

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 66 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Colorado Dems pushing a similar law rn.

Fucking idiots.

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[–] StrawberryPigtails@lemmy.sdf.org 67 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Enforcement against Linux distributions, however, is likely to be problematic. Distros like Arch, Ubuntu, Debian, and Gentoo have no centralized account infrastructure, with users downloading ISOs from mirrors worldwide, and can modify source code freely. These small distros lack legal teams or resources to implement the required API, so a more realistic outcome for non-compliant distros is a disclaimer that the software is not intended for use in California.

[–] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 42 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That's what MidnightBSD did.

California residents are not authorized to use MidnightBSD for desktop use in the state of California effective January 1, 2027. California law CA AB1043 requires a complex age verification system implemented for operating systems with no exceptions for small open source projects. At this time, we don't have development time or a plan in place for this.

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[–] mechoman444@lemmy.world 66 points 3 weeks ago (29 children)

You guys are asking the wrong questions.

How is Linux going to do this? There's no server for the os to send the information to report the age of its users, no way of forcing its user base to comply and no single person or entity to fine, arrest or otherwise force into compliance.

They made a law they cannot enforce.

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[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 63 points 3 weeks ago

For everyone trying to figure out how this would be enforced, it's not about being proactively enforced. (and data collection is 99% of it)

It's about adding a double-tap "Well, these people also violated our age verification law, so they have to pay a fine," added to any incident where it's convenient to add this in. If a minor sends another minor a snap that would trigger CP laws, and one of the phones isn't age verified correctly, fine to the parents and hands up in the air "We tried!" A minor is involved in torrenting movies? "Look, kids using illegal OS! Fine to the parents!"

This is how laws work across a lot of corrupt developing countries. There's laws for everything, but they only get applied selectively as authorities find they fit the situation. It's hard to actually be 100% above board and do everything legally because of a few little things meant to be impossible to actually do bureaucratically. So in every situation, any set of authorities start in with the endemic leverage of "Well, we have suspicion of you selling ketamine out of your apartment. Did you do age verification on your laptop? No? Then we can seize that as a crime and see what's on there. OR you can give up your supplier."

[–] noxypaws@pawb.social 57 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Despite signing it, Newsom issued a statement urging the legislature to amend the law before its effective date, citing concerns from streaming services and game developers about "complexities such as multi-user accounts shared by a family member and user profiles utilized across multiple devices."

then why did you fucking sign it in the first place??

words cannot describe the depths of my seething hatred for the complete, museum grade, massive piece of shit that is Gavin Newsom

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[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 49 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Considering the massive number of servers running Linux used in the industry, this sounds like a good way to kill the Tech Industry in California.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 49 points 3 weeks ago (23 children)

This is a gift to Microsoft.

This law only applies to computers used by children. The law explicitly defines "users" as minors. It does not apply to machines used solely/primarily by adults. It does not apply to servers, or other machines with no local users. It won't affect the tech industry directly.

This law effectively prohibits your children from (legally) using anything but Microsoft/Google products until they are 18.

With this law, Linux cannot be installed on a school computer. With a FOSS OS, the local systems administrator would be considered the OS provider, and would be liable under this idiot law.

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[–] wuffah@lemmy.world 46 points 3 weeks ago (16 children)

The law does not require photo ID uploads or facial recognition, with users instead simply self-reporting their age, setting AB 1043 apart from similar laws passed in Texas and Utah that require "commercially reasonable" verification methods, such as government-issued ID checks.

What even is the point of this then? To make shitty parents feel better?

It's so next year when they expand the requirements the infrastructure is already in place.

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[–] baller_w@lemmy.zip 44 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (5 children)

The law does not require photo ID uploadsor facial recognition, with users instead simply self-reporting their age, setting AB 1043 apart from similar laws passed in Texas and Utah that require "commercially reasonable" verification methods, such as government-issued ID checks.

Seems toothless. Good.

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[–] sol6_vi@lemmy.makearmy.io 42 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Did you guys know I was born January 1st 1901?

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 22 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

I was born in January 1st 1970, more credible and symbolic.

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[–] Reygle@lemmy.world 41 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

OK Newsom, you've lost me. I enjoyed your chaotic responses to the drumpf but you've officially lost me.

[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 42 points 3 weeks ago (15 children)

Realize, this has always been him. He is NOT a liberal. He is a conservative who calls himself a democrat.

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[–] Exeous@lemmy.world 40 points 3 weeks ago

What if no internet? How set up?

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 37 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

User age required to be entered. There is no verification.

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[–] sbbq@lemmy.zip 36 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Are children not allowed to use computers now?

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[–] Inucune@lemmy.world 34 points 3 weeks ago

No way this is enforceable

[–] BioDriver@lemmy.world 33 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

How the hell are they going to enforce this?

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[–] aurelar@lemmy.ml 32 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Technically, Linux is not an operating system, just a kernel, so I'm not sure how this would be implemented.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 53 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (4 children)

See, here's the big open secret. All these politicians, who make all these rules? They don't have a clue what they're talking about. They think a kernel is something that gets stuck in your teeth whrn you eat corn.

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[–] StarryPhoenix97@lemmy.world 29 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)
[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 24 points 3 weeks ago
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[–] super_user_do@feddit.it 25 points 3 weeks ago (9 children)

This is a whole new level for system level fingerprinting

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[–] pkjqpg1h@lemmy.zip 24 points 3 weeks ago

Why lawmakers are so stupid at understanding technology

[–] Gork@sopuli.xyz 23 points 3 weeks ago

I've always input my age as 1900-01-01 and I can't change that now because that'll show an inconsistency and we can't have that now can we.

[–] Fokeu@lemmy.zip 22 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (5 children)

Luckily this dogshit is completely unenforceable. It doesn't excuse the people who introduced this law, of course.

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