Illinois just passed a law that puts Linux on the hook for age verification

LPisGood

What does that mean, practically? The person who installed linux on that particular device is liable? >no algorithmic feeds for minors by default Any choice of what content to display is an algorithm. Maybe they want a simple or easily explainable algorithm?

nacozarina

as Linus would say, that is a userland issue, not a Linux issue

tomrod

I'm surprised we're not seeing heaps of lawsuits here. Age verification in general violates privacy.

2OEH8eoCRo0

So that includes Android? What about the Unix of iOS? You can also thank big tech for this because they'll do anything to not verify age on their platforms they want to push it onto devices and OSes.

badgersnake

It’s bonkers that 50 states all decide to make their own set of rules for this. Maybe talk to each other?

thrownaway561

I don't understand how you are actually going to be able to enforce this when Linux is not "owned" by a single company. Also how is that fine going to work if you don't have any children?

roundabout-host

Does it even ask for verification? If not, the problem with it is that it seems to require the OS provider (not the local installation) to store the age.

cptroot

Declaration, not verification

wartywhoa23

One doesn't make Linus disappear for some time and then arrive apologizing for stubborness and embracing the imposed CoC just for the heck of it.

engzaanin

The interesting part here is enforcement. Linux isn't controlled by a single vendor, so I'm not sure who the law would actually target.

kube-system

The law: https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/publicacts/104/10...

Aurornis

Not that I'm condoning it, but this law requires self-declaration, not verification. It might sound pedantic but the practical difference is huge. Self-declaration means that the system asks the user to declare if they are a minor. Nothing is verified. Age verification typically means a system which checks ID or has other enforcement measures to try to verify age.

dvrp

“You may not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you.”

bnjms

So in red states porn is being used, and in blue states TikTok and Instagram are being used. Is anyone tracking who is behind the concerted efforts here? For example, which organizations, executives, lobbyists and politicians are valid and responsible parties?

largehotcoffee

Unpopular opinion, but this is objectively better than having to upload your ID to every random website that requires an age check (if that's what the end result is).

HoldOnAMinute

Backdoor way to get data centers out of your state.

InitialLastName

Since TFA can't be bothered, here's the text of the actual bill: https://my.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus/FullText?GAID=18&...

shevy-java

I predicted this would happen. Others also predicted this would happen. I think now even the last person realises that this has nothing to do with age "verification". They simply hate us for our freedom. And it is clearly a move coordinated by private business here; their lobbyists are acting. This is also why it is the same law essentially in so many different countries at the same time. It is quite fascinating to watch, actually. People used to say "conspiracy nut!" - well, the facts are too clear now. That's no longer a conspiracy.

kej

I feel like all of these laws are being designed backwards. Content providers, like MPAA films, should have to identify what sort of content they are providing. Then I can give my kids a device configured to allow some or all of that at my discretion. Requiring my kids' devices to advertise their age (or their age "bucket", as if that was a meaningful difference) to protect them is not doing me or my kids any favors.

Bender

These laws still do not sit well with me. This is just going to create endless lawsuits. In my opinion the safer choice would be to avoid doing anything with current teens, that's just a non starter. Instead think of sliding windows of time and sandbox small children on a child account that if all goes well will one day be a teen and then an adult. They will thank you when they are an adult for looking out for them when they were too young to consent to the data leaked by these laws. Why not just signal age ranges? Simple, the way the legal system works is one puts in a benign sounding law, then tweak it every year since the mechanism exists. (scope creep) "Now add city, state" , "Now add DOB and address" , "Now add your federal wallet ID." - For small children set an RTA header (previous discussions) [1] for any URL that may potentially contain content not appropriate for small children. Give site operators 1 year to implement this. Not counting QA and change control this takes minutes. - Require app and device vendors to create a properly sand-boxed child account. Pen test it but it does not have to be perfect. This is for small children and default installed applications. If the child visits a URL that contains the RTA header then trigger parental controls. It is entirely up to the parent when that child is ready for mature content. It must be impossible for the child to install any applications, addons, etc... There are a myriad of ways to accomplish this. - How is this enforced? Same way as any other parenting issue. If there is an incident that involves law enforcement, then social services can investigate and determine if negligence was occurring. When the child is mentally mature enough to deal with all the crap that is the internet their account is converted to an adult account. If the parent is giving the child an adult account before they are ready then the parent(s) go to mandatory parental training. If the child was being bullied or groomed, redirect law enforcement to go after the bullies or groomers. - Set the laws to be active for any small child that would be under 13 as of the year 2034. Presto! One need not try to confine teens. When these small children are teens they will either be used to the sandbox account or the parent may have converted the account to adult. As a side note all public and private schools should be legislated to have classes on dealing with all the crap the internet has to offer. Bullies, Cry-bullies, Trolls, Groomers, Scammers, Devious companies, Astroturfers, Gas Lighters, Propagandists, NGO's and so on. Also teach and help them build friend networks so there is protection in numbers. No child should be friendless. [1] - https://nochan.net/b/Internet-Crap/20230829-Think-Of-The-Chi...