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California introduces age verification law for all operating systems, including Linux and SteamOS — user age verified during OS account setup (www.tomshardware.com)
submitted 6 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] 71 points 6 months ago (2 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.

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  • [–] 53 points 6 months ago (1 child)

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

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  • [–] 13 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    The new California republic seems to be the only people who see this coming

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago (1 child)

    ... That is literally what this law does.

    When a parent creates the account for their child they specify the age. If the parent decides to lie or circumvent the system and it affects their child then they would be fined.

    Just to be clear the law itself says absolutely nothing about actually verifying the age.

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    It also makes it mandatory to include this feature in every OS. It means you'll be sending telemetry about who you are to anyone that wants it and you don't have a choice. Fuck that. I don't have kids, there's no reason I should have to use an OS with this shit.

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago (2 children)

    The law actually has a specific provision preventing both os providers and developers from sending your information to whoever they want.

    And the OS is only allowed to send the minimum information that is required. Ie. your age bracket.

    Send only the minimum amount of information necessary to comply with this title and shall not share the digital signal information with a third party for a purpose not required by this title.

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago

    Laws don't prevent anything unless they are enforced. If the bill doesn't also include how this will all be audited and incredibly harsh penalties for violating it that part might as well be toilet paper. I don't care how minimal the data I'm sending them is. I want that amount to be 0. It doesn't benefit me to give them anything so I shouldn't be forced to do it.

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago

    Wake me when that actually leads to enforcement penalties. This law is vague enough as it is, no company is going to get slammed for "accidentally" skipping a user permission check, and having their FunPad app offer up your age info to one of Palantir's long fingers.

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