Age Verification in Your OS: The End of Online Anonymity?

Starting in January 2027, in California, all of the OSes you might interact with on any device sold in California are required to support an “age verification” signal that apps and web sites can read and legally depend on, to categorize the current user as “child”, “teenage”, or “adult”. This attestation will be added to the user's device login when the login is created, and presumably will be provided by an online service of some kind. This requirement applies even to all free software operating systems regardless of the financial resources the OS project may or may not have access to.

This law was signed by the governor in California in November, and no one noticed until the end of February 2026, when there were news articles about Colorado working on theirs. In fact, the Brazil version of this law ALREADY TOOK EFFECT in March 2026. New York is working on passing the law ASAP. Many other territories are working on it.

Meanwhile, operating system vendors are scrambling to figure out how they will react to the requirement: comply, ignore it, or opt out “doing business with” territories that have passed such laws.

In our April meeting, Brendan Kidwell will present what we know so far:

• What territories have passed OS-level age verification laws?
• How will age verificaiton work? Who will have access to my ID or age evidence? How will it be protected? Will the data be used to de-anonymize me on the Internet?
• Which OS vendors and related entities are complying with the law, and how?
• Will this protect my children?
• How is this plan infringing upon my freedom?
• Who is lobbying for the age verification laws?
• What freedoms might the lobbyists go after next?

After the presentation, there will be a lively open discussion among all attendees who wish to comment on the story. All opinions are welcome.

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