this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2026
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What is really likely to happen to you if you use an OS that doesn't comply with age verification laws. (lemmy.today)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by 1dalm@lemmy.today to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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Okay you are ready to take a stand for freedom!

You are going to use an OS that isn't going to bend the knee and comply with age verification laws. I solute you, comrade!

Here are the likely consequences of your choice:

The Feds aren't coming after you. You aren't going to be out on a watch list.

What will likely happen is that if you try to log into your Facebook account you will get a message that says "Your Operating System is not currently supported. Your user experience will be limited to Groups labeled "Everyone"."

That's basically it. Your personal user experience will be limited to "kid friendly" areas of the Internet. (Same with apps and games.)

That's the real driver of these laws. Facebook and other app producers know that the days where they can just shrug off child predators using their products is coming to and end. Regardless of your opinion on age verification is as a solution, child predators are a real world problem and it's not just the parents fault. The platforms have some responsibility too.

Which is exactly what Facebook and the others specifically don't want -responsibility for their own platforms. That's why they are pushing for these laws that off load their responsibility onto the OS makers. Then they can just say "Oh, we don't have any responsibility for this child being abused in our platform. We asked the OS what the user's age was and the OS reported 18+. What else could we have done?"

So, that's the consequence if you choose to use an OS that refuses to comply. You'll just be relegated to the kid friendly version of website, games, and applications.

(On the other hand, if your OS chooses to falsely report to a website or an app an age for a child that is abused, then the OS should also be held responsible. But at that point you can go ahead and blame the parents too for letting their child use an OS that isn't safe for them to use.)

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[–] unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml 3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

What will likely happen is that if you try to log into your Facebook account you will get a message that says "Your Operating System is not currently supported. Your user experience will be limited to Groups labeled "Everyone"."

That's basically it. Your personal user experience will be limited to "kid friendly" areas of the Internet. (Same with apps and games.)

Well, that makes no sense because that means that using an unvetted machine is more beneficial for groomers and predators than a vetted one. Meaning they'll be incentivized to use that, instead of some perfect system where they'd be easily trackable and held accountable.

[–] 1dalm@lemmy.today 0 points 9 hours ago

The problem the predators would have if they are relegated to the "kid friendly" sectors is that those sectors are much better policed by users and the corporations.

It's not really the public content that is the problem, the problems really come when a predator can lure a child into a private chat. That's when the predator can start their process of grooming that eventually leads to blackmailing the child (grooming is a process and it's damn evil and damn sinister). By relegating the users to "kid friendly" areas, the opportunity to pull kids into private spaces is greatly diminished.

Now, will the predators stop being predators? No. But if the platforms have strong child protection policies that make it more difficult for the predators, then they will move on to a website that has weaker policies. Which is just about the best an organization or platform can do, make the predators uncomfortable enough that they go hunt someone else's kids.