California lawmakers unanimously pass Linux exemption from age-verification law • Hacker News Board

Re: California lawmakers unanimously pass Linux exemption from age-verification law

#401

Post by a-dub » Mon, Aug 31, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC

BoxwoodSeed wrote: post #375

a-dub wrote: post #224

i still think this should be solved at the protocol level. if you want to access the adult stuff, you have to staple a non-identifying zk-proof-of-age to your http/spdy/etc requests, otherwise it all just operates as usual.

The default state should be adult. Kid devices should have something special on setup that makes them kid devices. Or even better, don't have anything like that at all anywhere other than in front of the screen. I really don't see how it is a good thing for a six year old to interact with the Internet in any way.

this is exactly what these weird operating system age tracking laws are codifying which is terrible. it forces consumer operating systems to become trusted computing bases that don't work for the consumer.

upgrading to adult content when a credential is provided at the protocol level rather than forcing the operating system to track the state means that consumer operating systems don't have to be secured against their own users.

Re: California lawmakers unanimously pass Linux exemption from age-verification law

#402

Post by pipes » Mon, Aug 31, 2026, 4:42 PM UTC

ForHackernews wrote: post #112

pipes wrote: post #63

My gut reaction to this is that there is something seriously wrong if special clauses are required. Why should open source get special treatment, to me that just highlights that the law is utterly ridiculous.

Why shouldn't open source get special treatment? Public laws should recognize and incentivize public goods.

Who gets to decide which operating systems have provided a public good? What criteria? I want the law to apply equally.

Re: California lawmakers unanimously pass Linux exemption from age-verification law

#403

Post by kennywinker » Mon, Aug 31, 2026, 5:17 PM UTC

card_zero wrote: post #89

kennywinker wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Macos contains elements that are open licensed. Many linux distros contain elements that are closed source. Where is the line? This law describes as a true-false something that is not only true or false. This law is poorly written. Amending it didn’t fix that.

Call in a Reasonable Person, when the position of the line is in question.

Reasonable People were unavailable for comment - they are busy deciding your 3d printer is illegal.

Re: California lawmakers unanimously pass Linux exemption from age-verification law

#404

Post by cowboylowrez » Mon, Aug 31, 2026, 6:24 PM UTC

inigyou wrote: post #336

BoxwoodSeed wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. The proper thing is to not have this at all in any shape or form.

So the proper thing to do is show hardcore porn to little kids? That's your take?

The proper thing is to strictly outlaw kids using the internet. There is nothing of value for kids on the internet, and even if there were, there are technical means of allowing users to use applications without generalized and ungated internet access, for instance roblox could be distributed through an age vetted app (including vetting adults too), the app could get internet access but disallow general internet browsing to arbitrary hosts.

Re: California lawmakers unanimously pass Linux exemption from age-verification law

#405

Post by teddyh » Mon, Aug 31, 2026, 6:28 PM UTC

cyanydeez wrote: post #202

teddyh wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don’t say. Here are some things to radicalize you: • 2012: https://memex.craphound.com/2012/01/10/lockdown-the-coming-w... > • 2003: https://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/digital-imprimatur/ > • 1997: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html.en >

1980: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/enterprise-and-socie...

That one is not really about either the internet, or even computers.