even inside it's borders, you physically cannot ban Linux. what that actually means (and the nefarious bit) is that companies must use Microsoft or Apple for their OS, and won't be allowed to choose linux for free. because you can't control people's computer use, but you can companies. it's just a handout for silicon valley.
There is way too much sensationalism around this law. All this law calls for is an OS-level "Are you over 18?" button, the kind that's been all over the internet for decades. See the Ubuntu mailing list discussion for a possible technical approach. There does not appear to be any requirement for age verification beyond that of the system administrator, and reporting is by a total of four age brackets, so even the privacy impact is limited.
The benefit of something like this is that age can be enforced by the system administrator rather than the user, so parents can set their kids' computers with an accurate age bracket. Meanwhile, all of us with just a single user can set the highest age brackets and move on with our lives. Now, as the CEO of System76 says, kids will find ways around it, and we shouldn't discourage kids from controlling their own computers, but he says "If there is any solace in these two laws, it’s that they don’t have any real restrictions".
But that same article notes that New York has a proposed bill S8102A that is much more draconian. California's law is a minor nuisance, while New York's bill sounds like an outright danger. Please focus on a real threat, especially considering it's much easier to change laws while they're still only bills.
But this is still worth fighting. It's a bellwether for more restrictive age+identity verification laws, and those should not exist in the US. The gov't shouldn't have any say in what I compute the same way they shouldn't have any say in what I discuss using the mail. This is a clear step away from that and it's important to make that clear to lawmakers now so they don't use this as evidence the populace is ok with something stronger.
This is the exact same thing as the law that makes products world wide say this product contains materials that may cause cancer according to the state of California. It's a nothing burger. It will be a very minor inconvenience and a joke that people harp on about for decades to come.
There are boat loads of countries right now doing the exact same thing. This is not a "oh you California again", this is yet another step in a process that had been ongoing since at least pre-2000. Every fucking year the encryption battle comes back and they only need to win once, then it's done
I find it funny specially since brazil passed a law in august that does that too but explicitly does not allow self declaration of age as verification, pretty much no one talks about
it is a trojan horse of a law (like most of these), doing great things such as trying to ban loot boxes and ban abusive ads targetting minors, the way it seeks to do that is comical
Honestly to play devil's advocate, California's law almost is the lesser of 2 evils, if software can ask the OS for age verification then maybe companies will stop rolling out actually invasive verification, and if the OS verification is handled by the sysadmin then it satisfies both sides, people that want to have age verification, and people that think it should be left in the hands of parents as a parenting role. Me personally? I'd rather we have no verification at all but that isn't the path the world is moving down.
How does this work with ephemeral servers though? How does this impact a piece of software I’m self hosting and sharing online? Am I going to be fined potentially thousands if my website can’t process the operating systems age bracket signal?
I agree a lot of the coverage is sensational but there are also gaps and nuisances involved the expose people to litigation for no real societal benefit. It also feels like a very slippery slope to more invasive age verification online.
VPN and different mirrors. Stupid Big Tech laws being pushed into 1/2 of the states with almost the same language. It's something to address in the new Constitution after this country burns down.
It’s something to address in the new Constitution after this country burns down.
...which requires first that the country does burn down. How is La Resistance doing on that front, of note? Tired of doing yet another peaceful protest already?
A) Just don't use the software that requires it, you don't need social media etc. in your life anyway, and B) I'm very confident someone will create a way to circumvent those checks very quickly anyway.
Or you just mark your account as an adult, all the california law requires is effectively parental controls to be available, you can just not enable them.
What do you mean pull out or California? Linux is an open source kernel, not an operating system sold by a company. You install it yourself. Who would be "pulling out" and what would they be pulling out exactly?
You are suggesting an idea such as with this law Gentoo could extend their userbase to the entirely of California by mandate? Now THAT would be interesting...
35 Comments
Luminous5481@anarchist.nexus · 58 pts · 160d
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world · 45 pts · 159d
even inside it's borders, you physically cannot ban Linux. what that actually means (and the nefarious bit) is that companies must use Microsoft or Apple for their OS, and won't be allowed to choose linux for free. because you can't control people's computer use, but you can companies. it's just a handout for silicon valley.
GraveyardOrbit@lemmy.zip · 19 pts · 159d
Buelldozer@lemmy.today · 12 pts · 160d
Colorado and New York will have this same law soon. Brazil already does.
gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 159d
They don't?
Buelldozer@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 159d
https://insightplus.bakermckenzie.com/bm/data-technology/brazil-digital-eca-brazils-child-and-adolescent-statute-a-new-framework-for-online-protection-of-children-and-adolescents_2
Ulrich@feddit.org · 0 pts · 159d
They can if those entities are doing business in California.
xxce2AAb@feddit.dk · 49 pts · 160d
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 159d
where will the women be at?
kautau@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 159d
Breeding farms. That’s what the dark enlightenment movement wants
ganryuu@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 159d
Blessed be the fruit.
xxce2AAb@feddit.dk · 2 pts · 159d
The other prison, presumably.
CubitOom@infosec.pub · 42 pts · 159d
"This distribution of Linux is not intended to be used by any citizen on any country on Earth."
Strawberry@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 42 pts · 159d
By using this software, you affirm that you are stateless and live on a boat in international waters.
randy@lemmy.ca · 36 pts · 159d
There is way too much sensationalism around this law. All this law calls for is an OS-level "Are you over 18?" button, the kind that's been all over the internet for decades. See the Ubuntu mailing list discussion for a possible technical approach. There does not appear to be any requirement for age verification beyond that of the system administrator, and reporting is by a total of four age brackets, so even the privacy impact is limited.
The benefit of something like this is that age can be enforced by the system administrator rather than the user, so parents can set their kids' computers with an accurate age bracket. Meanwhile, all of us with just a single user can set the highest age brackets and move on with our lives. Now, as the CEO of System76 says, kids will find ways around it, and we shouldn't discourage kids from controlling their own computers, but he says "If there is any solace in these two laws, it’s that they don’t have any real restrictions".
But that same article notes that New York has a proposed bill S8102A that is much more draconian. California's law is a minor nuisance, while New York's bill sounds like an outright danger. Please focus on a real threat, especially considering it's much easier to change laws while they're still only bills.
Atlas_@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 159d
Yes, there's definitely worse out there.
But this is still worth fighting. It's a bellwether for more restrictive age+identity verification laws, and those should not exist in the US. The gov't shouldn't have any say in what I compute the same way they shouldn't have any say in what I discuss using the mail. This is a clear step away from that and it's important to make that clear to lawmakers now so they don't use this as evidence the populace is ok with something stronger.
phoenixz@lemmy.ca · 14 pts · 159d
The real threats always starts as a nuisance.
Jyek@sh.itjust.works · 0 pts · 159d
This is the exact same thing as the law that makes products world wide say this product contains materials that may cause cancer according to the state of California. It's a nothing burger. It will be a very minor inconvenience and a joke that people harp on about for decades to come.
phoenixz@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 158d
Pay attention
There are boat loads of countries right now doing the exact same thing. This is not a "oh you California again", this is yet another step in a process that had been ongoing since at least pre-2000. Every fucking year the encryption battle comes back and they only need to win once, then it's done
protogen420@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 8 pts · 159d
I find it funny specially since brazil passed a law in august that does that too but explicitly does not allow self declaration of age as verification, pretty much no one talks about
law 15211 https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2023-2026/2025/Lei/L15211.htm
it is a trojan horse of a law (like most of these), doing great things such as trying to ban loot boxes and ban abusive ads targetting minors, the way it seeks to do that is comical
Scoopta@programming.dev · 4 pts · 159d
Honestly to play devil's advocate, California's law almost is the lesser of 2 evils, if software can ask the OS for age verification then maybe companies will stop rolling out actually invasive verification, and if the OS verification is handled by the sysadmin then it satisfies both sides, people that want to have age verification, and people that think it should be left in the hands of parents as a parenting role. Me personally? I'd rather we have no verification at all but that isn't the path the world is moving down.
recked_wralph@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 159d
How does this work with ephemeral servers though? How does this impact a piece of software I’m self hosting and sharing online? Am I going to be fined potentially thousands if my website can’t process the operating systems age bracket signal?
I agree a lot of the coverage is sensational but there are also gaps and nuisances involved the expose people to litigation for no real societal benefit. It also feels like a very slippery slope to more invasive age verification online.
OwlPaste@lemmy.world · 33 pts · 160d
Linux does not care, just stop using corporate sell out distros and move to one of the other million one
sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz · 24 pts · 160d
VPN and different mirrors. Stupid Big Tech laws being pushed into 1/2 of the states with almost the same language. It's something to address in the new Constitution after this country burns down.
GuyFawkesV@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 160d
Hahaha this guy thinks the dictator is going to give us a Constitution 🤣
undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch · 3 pts · 159d
Why would the dictator “give” a new constitution after the country burns down? Wouldn’t the country burning down imply “the dictator” is gone?
JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nl · 5 pts · 159d
Convenient that Israel has bought up a huge portion of VPNs just recently and has one of the largest spying and influence networks in the world.
lambalicious@lemmy.sdf.org · 4 pts · 159d
...which requires first that the country does burn down. How is La Resistance doing on that front, of note? Tired of doing yet another peaceful protest already?
KoboldCoterie@pawb.social · 18 pts · 160d
A) Just don't use the software that requires it, you don't need social media etc. in your life anyway, and B) I'm very confident someone will create a way to circumvent those checks very quickly anyway.
The_Decryptor@aussie.zone · 12 pts · 159d
Or you just mark your account as an adult, all the california law requires is effectively parental controls to be available, you can just not enable them.
carnival1562@lemmy.keimai.space · 16 pts · 159d
Pull out of California and let's see how the IT state handles it
paris@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 159d
What do you mean pull out or California? Linux is an open source kernel, not an operating system sold by a company. You install it yourself. Who would be "pulling out" and what would they be pulling out exactly?
carnival1562@lemmy.keimai.space · 3 pts · 158d
If there's any legal entity that could be liable or is regulated by California law, just block California IPs and be done with it
RedGreenBlue@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 159d
Can't we just let california compile from source, making every man their own provider?
lambalicious@lemmy.sdf.org · 1 pts · 159d
You are suggesting an idea such as with this law Gentoo could extend their userbase to the entirely of California by mandate? Now THAT would be interesting...
Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 159d
Just make it send 1/1/1900 automatically what are they gonna do about it?
ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 159d
1/1/1970*