It's unenforceable on Linux. A Linux user can simply remove or modify any code running on their machine. Fedora, Debian, and Arch can't make a user verify their age any more than they can force you to use Gnome. It's kinda the whole point of FOSS.

How some Linux developers defeated (for now) the new OS age-verification laws. Long live those Linux developers, who "heavily criticized the mandates", made public statements, and contacted the legislators.

Because other Linux developers, instead, immediately bent over backwards to start implementing changes towards accommodating those laws; for sure they didn't heavily criticize the mandates, nor make public statements, nor contact the legislators.

From the linked System76 blog:

New York’s proposed Senate Bill S8102A requires adults to prove they’re adults to use a computer, exercise bike, smart watch, or car if the device is internet enabled with app ecosystems. The bill explicitly forbids self-reporting and leaves the allowed methods to regulations written by the Attorney General. Practical methods for a bill of such extreme breadth would require, in many instances, providing private information to a third-party just to use a computer at all. Privacy disappears.

That's appalling, and NY won't be the only government trying it. This is going to be one of those battles we need to fight again and again.

Too bad this is moot. Google wants to deploy QR codes to prove you are human and not AI. The QR code is for your phone to prove you are real. Oops, your phone has a uuid and phone number and there goes your privacy.

While I don't like age verification, I do have to give the System76 guys some credit for pushing for an exception

is there a similar contingency in the California law?

You know ... now that open source is officially a legal loophole, I could see this making it more popular.

New reason to use Linux: You're 13 and you want to look at boobs on the internet, but other operating systems won't let you.

I must admit pessimism here, once this crap has the 99% (OK 95% or less for non-phones) accepting it, they'll come for linux (or the ISPs). When they came for the gays I didn't speak out... It's the thin end of the wedge (OK, extremely thick end). Colorado is not the world. The laws will be flawed, but continue to be amended, perfected, worldwide, because politicians as a class hate free speech, and anonymity protects free speech. The technically able will keep finding loopholes, but the vast majority will be left behind.

Probably there will be an exception made for corporations, after all, they have more need for privacy than the populace. /s

Its so sad, I would have really loved to move to colorado