Privacy News Federal Bill Would Bring OS-Level Age Verification to the Entire U.S.

[lokamoka820]

Content source

https://linuxiac.com/federal-bill-would-bring-os-level-age-verification-to-the-entire-us/

A new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives is pushing the age-verification debate to a new level, from individual state laws to a proposal that could eventually apply nationwide.

Filed as H.R. 8250 on April 13, 2026, the measure is titled “To require operating system providers to verify the age of any user of an operating system, and for other purposes.” It was introduced by Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, and has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Privacy advocates have expressed concerns about the potential consequences of this approach. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, in its criticism of California’s AB 1043, stated that the law would require operating systems and app stores to implement age-bracketing systems, expanding the collection of sensitive age data and increasing privacy and censorship risks. Similar concerns are expected to arise as details of H.R. 8250 become available.

 

[Victor M]

The EFF is spewing garbage. The only age data there is IS the age. We don't sell alcohol and guns to minors, why should software be any different. We'll make offensive security tools off limits and we will have less script kiddies.

 

[Halp2001]

The real issue here is the centralization of identity. Even if the goal is to keep offensive tools out of the wrong hands, it gives OS providers a massive excuse to start demanding biometrics or government IDs as a standard. It feels like we'd be trading long-term privacy for a very small, temporary gain in security.

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

It’s also really annoying when websites require even a fake age verification.
You click to confirm you’re over 18 and then proceed.

It bothers me because it uses up more bandwidth and resources, so I remove the verification using a rule in uBo/AG.
It’s not a simple task, as I’ve already mentioned elsewhere in this forum.
You can’t just click on the pop-up with your mouse and block it manually.
And this bothers me a lot too, because we’re being forced to view something, and since it’s always forced, it’s hard to get rid of.

 

[Victor M]

The real issue here is the centralization of identity.

I thought the age question going to be the only question asked when you setup an Windows 'other users' account. I don't use an MS Account of course. I hate MS forcing us to use their outlook accounts. But that's an anti-competition concern.

 

[lokamoka820]

@Victor M, as @Halp2001 pointed out, the issue lies in the data that the user must supply and how to validate it. Here's an example:

New Update Post in thread 'Apples Releases the 26.4 Versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS'

Mar 25, 2026

An issue for users at least in the UK & I think Australia will be that now with this update users have to prove they are 18 either with a credit card or ID / or driving license (a debit card is insufficient) & there has been issues, if you choose not to do this your account will eventually be restricted, from my reading users under 18 will have to be part of a family account, I wasn't to happy about uploading my driving license to Apple but there wasn't much choice this morning??

• Sorrento

• 

 

[Zero Knowledge]

Sad but it's come to this, people can not use computers or the internet as a proper behaved adult. So basically the 1% ruins it for the rest of us as always.

Eventually you will be asked for bio metrics or a passport photo to play games or use chat apps. It's just the nature of the beast sadly.

 

[Sampei.Nihira]

This is what lies ahead for us in Europe:

Statement by President von der Leyen with Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on the digital age verification app

 

[lokamoka820]

Linux is Getting a Free Pass on Age Verification in California and Colorado

Age verification laws have been spreading fast, and we have been keeping tabs on them for a while now. California's Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043) was the first to land, signed in October 2025, with Colorado following with its own version (SB26-051).

Neither made any concessions for open source software in the original language, which left Linux distributions and other community-run projects in a very uncomfortable dilemma.

Both have since moved to fix that, with Colorado having wrapped it up earlier this month and California heading for a full Assembly vote.

Linux is Getting a Free Pass on Age Verification in California and Colorado

Other open source software gets similar treatment, with Colorado going as far as explicitly excluding code repositories and container platforms.

itsfoss.com

 

[oldschool]

GrapheneOS refuses to comply with new age verification laws for operating systems — group says it will never require personal information

Doesn’t care if its devices can’t be sold in regions that require ID verification.

www.tomshardware.com

Critics, including over 400 computer scientists who signed an open letter, have argued that the laws create surveillance infrastructure without meaningfully protecting children, since self-declaration is trivially bypassed.