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The Engineer Who Tried to Put Age Verification Into Linux
(www.sambent.com)
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this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2026
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Those are also entirely optional and not having them filled in doesn't cause other software to stop doing what the user wants.
(same for the birthDate field)
Not true. Because the stated purpose of the laws at play is to enable that to be queried so that sites can decide what is appropriate for you to see.
That is the purpose, but the field is implemented as optional and modifiable with admin privileges.
That is not the point and you know it.
Your point is true, but I'm saying its impact is also optional.
The option is not supposed to be there at all. Don’t comply with ANY part of it, especially in advance.
exactly, users should disable the optional birthDate field
No. It shouldn't be part of the OS at all. It should be a third party package that one can choose to then add the repo or download the package, and manually install. And then click that you agree you want age tracking before it actually installs. It's should be very manual and opt in only, and never installed by default. That way those that wish to can have it, and no one else need comply in advance to fascism. Opt out is an awful plan. You know that. You're just trolling or are for a deeper police state.
I didn’t say that it should be part of the OS. You’re repeating a different (compelling) argument that doesn’t change whether this field is opt-out when this entire subthread is about whether these fields are opt-out since kent_eh said the other fields were opt-out.
Depends how these new laws are written.
The same with the birthDate field.
... unless someone merges a PR making it required, which is the discussion of this thread.
What if someone makes a PR making your real name and address being required? Damn...
So you're arguing that systemd shouldn't have reverted that pointless PR because it's not actually enforced? Sorry, I'm probably not understanding your comment
You're right.
"What if <insert dystopian scenario that hasn't happened>?" is a silly argument.
And then you can input a random date from before 1940 and forget about it...