Rep. Finke Was Right: Age-Gating Isn’t About Kids, It’s About Control

they prevent all young people from finding community online, and that they violate young people and adults' First Amendment rights.

#ageverification #surveillance #privacy #censorship #freespeech #technology #tech

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/03/rep-finke-was-right-age-gating-isnt-about-kids-its-about-control

Wait, those open source heroes in the Linux world who valiantly sell enterprise software and provide the infrastructure for surveillance capitalism are preemptively complying with fascism?

Why, say it ain’t so!

#linux #ageVerification

The Engineer Who Tried to Put Age Verification Into Linux

｢ Dylan, useful idiot with commit access, pushed age verification PRs to systemd, Ubuntu & Arch, got 2 Microslop employees to merge it, called it 'hilariously pointless' in the PR itself, then watched Lennart personally block the revert. Unpaid compliance simp ｣

https://www.sambent.com/the-engineer-who-tried-to-put-age-verification-into-linux-5/

#systemd #ageverification #opensource #privacy

This is absolute perfection: UBUNTU SECURE BOOT AGE VERIFICATION | Hacker.House https://alecmuffett.com/article/150554 #AgeVerification #OnlineSafetyAct #OpenSource #censorship #kosa #systemd #ubuntu

This is absolute perfection: U...

Age verification is a long term play to exploit children.

Do people really think that the same scum who groom kids on roblox wont use the government mandated verified age of an app user to access their camera and microphone, collect their location data, and ultimately use that info to access that child IRL?

These people aren't stupid, they know exactly what they are doing. Since the Epstein Files, I believe that all politicians are pedophiles just in case.

#APAP #ageverification

Between age verification law and AI slop, it's very interesting to see big developpers bend the knee to fascists to stay “apolitical”.

#AI #AgeVerification #Slop

How can the answer to protecting privacy be age verification?

The ICO (UK) seems to think so. Their fine against Reddit for relying on self-declaration is met with a call for intrusive biometric scans or ID uploads.

All this when privacy dangers are emerging within the industry.

Read our new blog ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/break-privacy-to-make-privacy-age-verification-isnt-the-answer/

#ico #reddit #dataprotection #digitalid #ageverification #privacy #ukpolitics #ukpol

Seeing too many responses to impending age-verification laws being like, "Frog-kind need to stop overreacting, they're only raising the pot temperature by one degree!"
#ageverification

Call me pessimistic, but I think we just have to make peace with the fact that the internet we've known for the past 30 years is coming to an end and we're entering a full on fascist surveillance state.

We should make our preparations for this now and not right before the legislation takes effect.

I'd like for things to work out and these bills either fail to pass or get struck down in court but I feel that ain't going to happen. So many people will get hurt because of this.

#Privacy #FreeSpeech #Censorship #DigitalRights #Internet #SocialMedia #KOSA #KidsOnlineSafetyAct #AgeVerification #ClientSideScanning #US #UnitedStates

RE: https://sharkey.world/notes/ak1wfxs7bm0m0001

Privacy and Surveillance boosted

Space Queen Enthusiast » 🌐 2026-03-20 / 2026-03-20
@GalacticGoddess@sharkey.world

Well, looks like we can't rely on Ted Cruz stonewalling bills anymore. They want to proceed with the Kids Online Safety Act, Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, and Kids Off Social Media Act (at minimum). Cruz wants to advance these bills "within the next six weeks" (i.e. factoring in recesses, it will either be the week of April 13th or the week of April 20th). I have no idea if Cruz is siding with the Senate version or the House version of KOSA as last I checked, he was on the fence (there will clearly be negotiation/butting heads as the two versions differ drastically).

This has a greater chance of proceeding as scheduled as Cruz is the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. Though it could be delayed if the previous two calls for votes are anything to go by (Blumenthal wanted a vote on KOSA by late 2025 and Graham wanted a vote on various bills back in February).

Please call your Senators and Representatives ASAP!

#Privacy #FreeSpeech #Censorship #DigitalRights #Internet #SocialMedia #KOSA #KidsOnlineSafetyAct #AgeVerification #ClientSideScanning #US #UnitedStates

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/03/12/congress/cruz-seeks-to-advance-senate-kids-privacy-proposals-in-next-six-weeks-00825098

Well, looks like we can't rely on Ted Cruz stonewalling bills anymore. They want to proceed with the Kids Online Safety Act, Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, and Kids Off Social Media Act (at minimum). Cruz wants to advance these bills "within the next six weeks" (i.e. factoring in recesses, it will either be the week of April 13th or the week of April 20th). I have no idea if Cruz is siding with the Senate version or the House version of KOSA as last I checked, he was on the fence (there will clearly be negotiation/butting heads as the two versions differ drastically).

This has a greater chance of proceeding as scheduled as Cruz is the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. Though it could be delayed if the previous two calls for votes are anything to go by (Blumenthal wanted a vote on KOSA by late 2025 and Graham wanted a vote on various bills back in February).

Please call your Senators and Representatives ASAP!

#Privacy #FreeSpeech #Censorship #DigitalRights #Internet #SocialMedia #KOSA #KidsOnlineSafetyAct #AgeVerification #ClientSideScanning #US #UnitedStates

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/03/12/congress/cruz-seeks-to-advance-senate-kids-privacy-proposals-in-next-six-weeks-00825098

We’re watching the rise of legislative proposals mandating age verification directly inside operating systems. While pitched as child safety measures, the technical implementation proposed poses significant threats to privacy, security, and the open architecture of the internet.

What is sold as safety becomes a checkpoint to mine and abuse your identity. This isn't about protecting kids, but rather turning every computer into a device that asks permission before it can be used.

We build Omada because we think a machine shouldn't have to ask who you are.

https://itsfoss.com/news/distros-response-age-verification-laws/

#Privacy #FOSS #AgeVerification #DigitalRights

#HB5511: #AgeVerification for OS proposed in #Illinois state legislature

https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocTypeID=HB&DocNum=5511

#privacy #IdentityVerification #politics

Users hate it, but age-check tech is coming. Here’s how it works.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/after-discord-fiasco-age-check-tech-promises-privacy-by-running-locally-does-it-work/

#privacy #AgeVerification #IdentityVerification

How #Linux and #BSD #Distros Are Responding to the New #AgeVerification #Laws
Age verification laws could change how operating systems work. See how major Linux and BSD distributions are reacting to the new regulations
Some distros are planning to comply
Some distros are resisting
Much of Linux ecosystem traces back to Debian, Arch, Ubuntu, and Red Hat (Fedora). Whatever technical approach these major players adopt will likely influence dozens of downstream distributions.
https://itsfoss.com/news/distros-response-age-verification-laws/

#AgeVerification #Lobbying: #DarkMoney, Model #Legislation & Institutional Capture
How corporate lobbying, #thinktank infrastructure, competing model legislation, and obscured funding networks are shaping age verification policy across 45 states and #Congress.
#Meta spent $26.3M on lobbying in 2025, deployed 86+ lobbyists across 45 states, and funded #DigitalChildhoodAlliance (#DCA) to advocate for the #AppStoreAccountabilityAct (#ASAA). But operation extends beyond Meta.
https://tboteproject.com/

There's Hope That At Least #Colorado's Age Attestation Bill Could Exclude #OpenSource

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Colorado-Maybe-Exclude-OSS

#politics #AgeVerification #FOSS #System76 #IdentityVerification

The resistance against age verification is growing. 

There's now a dedicated Linux distro that stands against it. 😼🗿

https://itsfoss.com/news/ageless-linux/

#linux #ageverification

Reddit User Uncovers Who Is Behind Meta's $2B Lobbying for Age Verification Tech

https://www.gadgetreview.com/reddit-user-uncovers-who-is-behind-metas-2b-lobbying-for-invasive-age-verification-tech

#HackerNews #RedditUser #Meta #Lobbying #AgeVerification #Tech

Ageless Linux, a "technical provocation disguised as Linux distro," circulates among developers and privacy activists 🧩.
Built on Debian, it rejects age verification laws to defend open-source freedom from regulatory overreach 🔒.

https://agelesslinux.org/

🔗 https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20260316-agelesslinux-noncompliance-age-verification/

#TechNews #Linux #Privacy #OpenSource #FOSS #Debian #AgeVerification #Regulation #Security #Freedom #Software #DigitalRights #UserFreedom #Technology #Innovation

Think of the children: Linux community against age verification (heise.de)

https://www.heise.de/en/news/Think-of-the-children-Linux-community-against-age-verification-11212220.html

#Linux #ageverification #opensource #programming

Why are several other 'software freedom' organizations silent on the matter?

World leaders and corporate bosses are slowly cobbling together a digital 'singularity' system to monitor and control all human activity via AI-controlled systems. The plan is to extend the reach of this AI into every app, operating system, and device of every citizen, maintaining 24/7/365 real time monitoring of everything you do.

Different facets of the planned system are being individually implemented across an array of countries. The speech control system is implemented in Britain and being tested there. The social credit system is implemented in China and being tested there. The fake news and propaganda system is heavily implemented in the United States.

#AgeVerification in your operating system is a building block of the #SingularitySurveillanceSystem (#SSS). This system has been long in the planning and now the hidden hand is acting through its corporate and government storefronts to begin #Panopticon construction one building block at a time.

#GameOfDrones #Singularity #CBDC #Currency #Money #SocialCredit #Government #Economy #Enslavement #CreepingControl #ControlGrid

#AB1043’s Internet Age Gates Hurt Everyone

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/03/ab-1043s-internet-age-gates-hurt-everyone

#privacy #politics #AgeVerification #IdentityVerification

Meta, lobbying, dark money, surveillance and age verification

It has all the doings of a dark fantasy, unfortunately it is not

https://tboteproject.com/

#IT #Surveillance #AgeVerification #Meta #Lobbying #Democracy #DemocracyUndone

Rep. #Finke Was Right: Age-Gating Isn’t About Kids, It’s About Control

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/03/rep-finke-was-right-age-gating-isnt-about-kids-its-about-control

#privacy #politics #AgeVerification #IdentityVerification

Linux and BSD distributions are taking varied approaches to new U.S. age verification laws requiring OS‑level age attestation during setup 🧩.

Ubuntu and Fedora are planning privacy‑respecting local APIs, while MidnightBSD and Adenix reject compliance, citing risks to open‑source freedom and user privacy 🔒.

🔗 https://itsfoss.com/news/distros-response-age-verification-laws/

#TechNews #Linux #BSD #OpenSource #Privacy #Security #Regulation #Compliance #Software #Freedom #FOSS #Ubuntu #Fedora #System76 #UserRights #AgeVerification #US

🛂 Brazil publishes a list of companies needing age verification, includes Ubuntu

https://www.gov.br/anpd/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/em-acao-de-monitoramento-do-eca-digital-a-anpd-estende-o-prazo-para-que-empresas-prestem-informacoes-sobre-implementacao-das-novas-regras

#ageverification #brazil #linux #Ubuntu

The debate about Age verification for Kids misses the crucial point that Kids aren't stupid. I'm sure that if you put my oldest one and his friends up to the task of misleading the computer into allowing them to access a 13+ game, they'd have it figured out in an afternoon.
#ageverification #kids

What is the App Store Accountability Act?

https://proton.me/blog/app-store-accountability-act

#privacy #AgeVerification #politics #IdentityVerification #ASAA #HR3149