Because nobody is going to comply, it will go completely unenforced, and nothing will happen.
this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2026
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Just put a "not for use in the state of California" disclaimer somewhere. Then automatically set every user's birthday to January 1st, 1970.
Many projects are doing the "not for use in California" thing. I'd set the birthday to yesterday - it is the safest. This is only useful as a do-not-track, and kids get the best protection there. For anything else - kids are well able to change their birthday on the computer, so if you want to protect kids from harmful content (whatever that is - no two people agree if you dig deep enough) you need something that is stronger than a claimed age.
As a kid, me and a friend bought the game "Leisure Suit Larry" or one of the sequels. It included an age check because of adult content. After asking our age, which we dutifully entered as 19, it would ask questions that only an adult would know, like "who was the US president in 1962?" We would research these questions in my friend's encyclopedia to play the game.
Now, I have all this trivia knowledge in my head due to my childhood quest to see highly pixelated cartoon boobies in 640x480 resolution.
which we dutifully entered as 19, it would ask questions that only an adult would know, like “who was the US president in 1962?”
To think there was a time when Amerikkkan adults actually knew some History, that the developers could trust to use as an age check! Quite the surprise, I imagine in part it was thanks to Carmen Sandiego.
Now, I have all this trivia knowledge in my head due to my childhood quest to see highly pixelated cartoon boobies in 640x480 resolution.
Everyone wins!
California does not make laws for the entire country or the entire world. Perhaps "Linux" should be distributed from elsewhere and offer zero compliance, from a location outside CA jurisdiction. I know there are some distros that are published from the EU for example.
There are several people who work on linux who live in California who thus are subject to California laws. There are people who don't live in California who sometimes travel to California and thus could be subject to those laws at times (see a lawyer)
And because this law is unenforceable exactly none of them will comply
Those people should all tell California to fuck off then. California can't tell me to do shit.
Yes, bit of they love there, they can't
Some even live there!
Unenforceable and lacking jurisdiction.
It being unenforceable is part of the ploy. It means moneyful entities, like say Microslop or a Christofascist national church, can harass developers aligned with non-rightwing principles via lawsuits. They don't have to prosper, they just have to cause a cost in money and quality-of-life.
California can chew the bark off my big fat log, for all I care what laws they wanna pass. What’s Gavin gonna do? Send the lawyers to knock down my door? Meme me to death from Twitter?
The name’s Please. Bitch, Please.
sudo uninstall --force age_verification_daemon
Honestly, this might inspire me to try installing Gentoo again. I’ll just skip the step involving that.
You know why they're quiet? Because they don't answer to anybody.
XD
Ya, I just assumed they wouldn’t comply.
We are TIRED TO BE ALL RHE WORLD ALWAYS HARRASSED BY USA 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
Do it. See what happens with the internet when suddenly no Linux will boot without manual intervention.
As is this bill is waaaay too broad. It seems the legislative body recognizes that so hopefully there will be a significantly narrower definition for what applications require age assurance. If you live in Cali call your state reps, and voice your concerns! I do like the idea of age verification via device attestation, way less invasive than uploading a pic of your ID to some chuckle-fuck 3rd party that is gonna get hacked. I would like no age verification being forced, but it looks like that is not gonna happen.
it looks like that is not gonna happen.
It is if we avoid products and people associated with this. Warn the people.
But I don't live in California and my people are petty as fuck. Try to buy a coke in Newfoundland for the last 40 years.
What's the story with Coke and Newfoundland?
😂💪👏
At this point, I'm waiting for Europe to fork Linux if this happens
Linus already european.
I'm not sure what you mean by fork Linux, are you referring to the kernel? In which case I would say that it is already meaningfully developed by Europeans, if you meant something different I don't see the vision.
Roughly 1 in 8 Americans are Californians.
That's too much. Or too little, I can't tell.
I could see this being used as an excuse for governments to keep spending taxpayer money on Microsoft licenses, and for software/hardware companies not to support open operating systems like Linux.
California is the fourth-largest economy in the world.
LOL login command line....
Error can I see your face please?
Nah! I got no camera and this is CLI.
Hmm okay, I guess.
We have no control over our government
But why? Apart mass surveillance