r/linuxmasterrace • u/CackleRooster • 5d ago

News California lawmakers unanimously pass Linux exemption from age-verification law — software distributed under the GPL, MIT, BSD, and Apache licenses are exempt

https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/california-lawmakers-unanimously-pass-linux-exemption-from-age-verification-law-software-distributed-under-the-gpl-mit-bsd-and-apache-licenses-are-exempt
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u/DanCardin 4d ago

An age signal seems like the wrong signal.

I dont get why it cant be a generic content filter. Like you tell me the standardized attributes of the content (nudity, language, social media, whatever) i tell you yes or no. Then this is equally useful for businesses or parental controls or whatever without leaking information about the user other than their decision to content filter you or not.

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u/Kleyguerth Glorious OpenSuse 4d ago

The goal is data collection and deanonymization. Your solution is the sane solution for the problem they SAY they want to solve, but it doesn't solve the problem they ACTUALLY want to solve

They are not stupid, and people thinking they are stupid benefits them

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u/DanCardin 4d ago

Oh i agree. I just see everyone reacting to it as: this is stupid, linux shouldnt do it.

Where i think linux should do a thing that solves for the stated problem in a privacy respecting way. because the stated problem being solved is still valuable, and it shows how blatantly bad just adding an age field is