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"Parents Decide Act": New US Congress bill proposal requires all operating system providers to verify ages.
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this post was submitted on 15 Apr 2026
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I can't wait to verify my age to all 14 operating systems in my car. My Traeger grill has an OS. So does my router. Does a bare metal super loop count as an OS? It did in my undergrad operating systems class. Do I need to verify the pilot's age for all of the operating systems in an F35? Who supplies the ID for the OS in an ATM?
I would like to remind viewers that image is over 20 years old, and remains relevant (even more today than it ever was).
If it's called "parents decide" why they implement it as "government and corps decide"? 🤔
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GrapheneOS is about to see a huge uptick in users.
Praying that Linux phones become more daily driver options.
GrapheneOS about to become illegal/probable cause for a terrorism charge. The goal is to criminalize everyone who opposes MAGA tyranny.
I'll add that to my long list of reasons to stay out of the usa.
To be clear, that was just an expression of frustrated cynicism rather than a warning of any actual policy change. Also, it's law enforcement in Spain and France that have actually been doing stuff like that so far; I just wouldn't be surprised if US cops jumped on the bandwagon.
Can't blame you for wanting to stay away from the US, though!
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Been running GrapheneOS for years now. Started with a Pixel 3, then moved to a Pixel 6 Pro, and now have it on a Pixel 9 Pro. It is ridiculously easy to install and use, and is regularly updated. I love it!
Seconded. On my third (and hopefully final) Pixel running GrapheneOS. Was using a Samsung Galaxy A7 in my teen years, then I got smart and got a Pixel 4 XL to load up GrapheneOS. Things were going well until the Pixel 4 XL spicy pillow (battery) incident.
My next Pixel was a Pixel 6 Pro, and that one was...fine, but yeesh, that thing made me hate Google's Tensor modem, AKA the modem that is neck and neck with Exynos for being THE WOOOOOOOOOOOORST!
Currently rocking the Pixel 8 Pro, and it has a much better Tensor chip.
Hoping my next GrapheneOS phone will be a Motorola if their recent partnership bears fruit (and a phone with better, preferrably Qualcomm, modem).
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As a parent, I have zero faith in any system like this. I'm all for more parental controls(like what Gnome 50 just implemented), but I don't want anything(program, web browser, video game, etc) to be able to query any kind of "age" field on an account on my system.
I don't want ANYONE to know if my child is using a device. And if that means I have to create an adult account for them, then so be it. I don't want my child's information being scraped and imported into some random database that gets leaked or sold to nefarious actors.
Companies would love to know the age of a person using a device
There is a reason why Meta is pushing for age verification. They love children due to the fact that advertisers love to get children hooked early on a product. You should be very careful about who advertises to your child
Thank GOD! FINALLY I'll get a Chance to give the Epstein Class my CHILDS personal Information!
Another lie at the altar of protecting children. They could give a fucking rip about kids, dimmest timeline ever.
Reddit User Uncovers Who Is Behind Meta’s $2B Lobbying for Invasive Age Verification Tech
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/reddit-user-uncovers-behind-meta-154717384.html
If it’s required then parents don’t decide shit
Friendly reminder that anyone who writes DRM is a traitor to the human race. Find a job that won't haunt your conscience.
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It doesn't sound like the parents are the ones deciding, though.
I'd be fine with this, honestly. It will justify me throwing out all of my electronics and moving to the woods to live out a simple, happy life.
Until you’re like the poor guy I met who couldn’t get out of the courthouse’s parking garage because you pay with an app and he didn’t have a phone.
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- Allow parents to set age-appropriate content controls from the start, including limiting access to social media, apps, and AI platforms.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't most, if not all, OSes have these capabilities already? Parents already don't use them, what is supposed to make me think they'll suddenly start using them if only there was another law mandating them?
Well it's called the "Parents Decide Act" and these things usually have opposite effects from the name, so I'm pretty sure that it's actually going to end up being a small handful of puritans deciding what's appropriate for everyone else's children.
So, more people learning to compile kernels eh?
"Patents decide" is a very thin veil around the personal data grab this really is. If parents so decide, they are perfectly capable to set up the correct ages for their children without handing any sensitive data over to bog tech. And if they decide to not care about age restrictions, they could still use their personal info to verify as adults on their children's devices. This bill only benefits those, who can collect even more data then
Who is this legislation for? Third party "verifier" companies make tons of money, data brokers make tons of money selling info on which users are minors to advertisers and pdf files, fascist government gets "Total Information Awareness", corrupt government officials make tons of money, ... so much winning! so much money to be made!
Well the MP who brought the bill forward has said people who criticise Israel should be imprisoned.
Exactly what this legislation is ultimately for, and what all those giant data centers are really going to be for. Takes a lot of storage to monitor all your citizens.
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Unless the parents decide they want to preserve their privacy of course. What about non-parents? Why do parents get to decide for us?
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The free flow of information empowers the proles, time to take it away.
This is stupid to do this at the OS level. Where are the small government conservatives demanding the private market meet this need? (They are liars, fools, and scumbags who don't sincerely believe what they say)
Well, I'll certainly be looking into alternative, user privacy focused devices going forward. I'll miss tap to pay and Android Auto / Carplay but I'll adapt.
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Hate it, but I honestly think this will pass. Most people won't even notice as Windows already requires an email, so this will probably just add some sort of take a picture of your face thing. The concerning issue is when this leads websites to be able to request the identity of users. Huge chunks of the internet will basically die for anyone who cares about privacy. Linux users can ignore a lot of this, but linux will remain in the minority on all devices, and when most websites plus government websites start using it to access papers and such things... yeah then even linux users will have to figure out a work around maybe scrapers or something... It's dystopian.
You won't be able to access any restricted sites without an age code.
Windows does not require you to verify your age.
The people that push these laws must be shoved into a solitary confinement for the rest of their lives.
This is gonna be a great way to teach kids how to circumvent these controls. A whole generation of hackers will be born
Everyone knows this, including those who wrote and will vote for the bill. They don't care if kids circumvent it, as protecting kids is not what the bill is about. No government gives a fuck about kids, beyond the number on the population chart.
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