• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

A New Bill proposes Federal Age Verification on any Operating Systems in entire U.S

mullet said:
FISA 702 is foreign surveillance, NOT national surveillance. BTW
Click to expand...
HGCTzEpXUAAfO0w.jpeg
 
Aurelius said:
Let's not rush to assume this will go far. It's not political commentary to note that this is a Democrat-sponsored bill in a Republican-controlled House, and it's starting in a committee. Unless there's enough bipartisan support, it could fizzle out before it even gets to a House vote, let alone a successful matching Senate bill.

I will say I'm not fans of these measures; baking in age verification at the OS level screams "likely privacy violation" and makes it impossible to use an OS completely offline from the start.
Click to expand...
It's sponsored by a Republican as well. This is the point in the process that it's easiest to oppose.
 
MrGuvernment said:
I am Canadian, and I care because often what the U.S does, Canada tends to follow closely behind. And since most big tech companies are American based, what they push, will impact Canada as well. I also have friends and family in the U.S.

But, ignore my post then if you only trust "citizens" opinions...which funny, in this thread, all seem to be the same as mine?
Click to expand...
I freak out when Brazil did it, and that's because I know once it starts then it's a plaque that spreads across the globe like a disease. Eventually, everyone is going to have age verification because everyone remembered that children exist. Except everyone knows this won't do jack to help children.
Meeho said:
View attachment 797491
Click to expand...
You heard Trump. He's willing to give up his rights and privileges. Quick, get the Epstein files and lets see how much he's really thinking about the children. He did offer.
 
7m and 8m videos on the subject.

Imagine every time you turn on your computer the OS pings an "age-verification-server" to see if you are an adult. But the only way it will be effective is if the "Age-ID-Server" has your official gov't ID on file. Your name is checked against any number of databases (public, private, corporate, etc). Two possible outcomes:

1) If you are deemed a good citizen you are given access to your computer. But everything you do online (and offline) will be tracked and uploaded back to any number of servers. Or.

2) If you are deemed a bad citizen you will denied access to your computer. Be required to pay a fine, take a "how to be a good citizen" online course, be denied access to certain web sites, given a 1, 5, 30, 90 day computer-use ban, or be told to stay put as LEO are on their way to "have a talk with you."


View: https://youtu.be/qFlyCLXdwT0

View: https://youtu.be/Xa3-TkHBh90
 

"Colorado Adds Open-Source Exemption to Age-Verification Bill9​

Posted by EditorDavid on Saturday April 25, 2026 @05:26PM from the state-variables dept.
Colorado's "age-attestation" bill left the House committee with new exemptions for open-source operating systems, applications, code repositories, and containerized software distribution, reports the blog Linuxiac:[The bill] focuses on operating system providers and application stores. Its main requirement is that these providers supply an age-related signal via an interface, so applications can determine whether a user is a minor... System76 founder Carl Richell shared on Fosstodon that the updated bill now includes "a strong exemption for open source distros and apps" and has passed in the House committee. He also quoted the key part, which says Article 30 does not apply to an operating system provider or developer that distributes software under license terms that let recipients copy, redistribute, and modify the software without restrictions from the provider or developer... This wording covers Linux distributions and many open-source applications without linking the exemption to any specific project, company, or ecosystem.

The amendment also excludes applications from free, public code repositories from being considered covered applications. It also excludes code repository providers and containerized software distribution from being defined as covered application stores. This is meant to prevent platforms like GitHub, GitLab, Docker, or Podman-based distributions from being treated like commercial app stores under the bill.
"There are more steps but we're on our way to protecting the open source community," Richell posted on Fosstodon, "at least in Colorado.""
 
erek said:

"Colorado Adds Open-Source Exemption to Age-Verification Bill9​

Posted by EditorDavid on Saturday April 25, 2026 @05:26PM from the state-variables dept.
Colorado's "age-attestation" bill left the House committee with new exemptions for open-source operating systems, applications, code repositories, and containerized software distribution, reports the blog Linuxiac:[The bill] focuses on operating system providers and application stores. Its main requirement is that these providers supply an age-related signal via an interface, so applications can determine whether a user is a minor... System76 founder Carl Richell shared on Fosstodon that the updated bill now includes "a strong exemption for open source distros and apps" and has passed in the House committee. He also quoted the key part, which says Article 30 does not apply to an operating system provider or developer that distributes software under license terms that let recipients copy, redistribute, and modify the software without restrictions from the provider or developer... This wording covers Linux distributions and many open-source applications without linking the exemption to any specific project, company, or ecosystem.

The amendment also excludes applications from free, public code repositories from being considered covered applications. It also excludes code repository providers and containerized software distribution from being defined as covered application stores. This is meant to prevent platforms like GitHub, GitLab, Docker, or Podman-based distributions from being treated like commercial app stores under the bill.
"There are more steps but we're on our way to protecting the open source community," Richell posted on Fosstodon, "at least in Colorado.""
Click to expand...

While that is better than nothing I suppose, it still won't amount to a hill of beans if the federal bill passes.

That and even with an open source exemption this is still a horrific idea that needs to die.
 
I’ve written my congressman and senators explaining the concerns with HR8250, asking them to defeat this bill at any cost, and promising to support whomever runs against them should they fail to oppose it, both with their vote and on the record.

That’s pretty much all you can do. I recommend everyone else does as well. They need to know there will be consequences for supporting this bill.
While I wouldn’t copy and paste the below (as it is customized for one of my senators) if you need a sample letter to base yours on, mine went something like this:

Subject: URGENT: Opposition to H.R. 8250 – Protecting Internet Freedom, FOSS and Privacy

I am writing as a constituent and member of the Massachusetts tech community to urge you to oppose H.R. 8250, the Parents Decide Act. As a leader who has spent his career defending Net Neutrality and digital privacy, I believe you are uniquely positioned to see why OS-level age verification is a catastrophic technical and civil liberties error.

In tech circles I frequent—including Linux Mint Forums, HardForum, Level1Techs, and Phoronix and just about every major tech Youtube channel representing millions of viewers—H.R. 8250 is seen as a fundamental threat to the open internet and our privacy for the following reasons:
  1. DESTRUCTION OF THE OPEN SOURCE ECOSYSTEM: H.R. 8250 requires OS “providers” to implement identity gates. This is technically impossible for decentralized, open-source projects like Linux. As a champion for innovation, you must recognize that this bill effectively criminalizes the FOSS tools that drive our state’s research universities and cybersecurity firms.
  2. A SECURITY BACKDOOR FOR IDENTITY THEFT: Forcing OS providers to verify legal identities creates a centralized “identity honeypot.” Mandating a permanent, verified link between a citizen’s legal ID and their device is a gift to foreign adversaries. This creates the very privacy vulnerabilities you have worked so hard to prevent.
  3. CORPORATE ENHANCEMENT: This bill forces users into the “walled gardens” of Big Tech. By mandating OS-level gates, the government is legally requiring every American to maintain a verified account with a trillion-dollar corporation just to operate a personal computer.
  4. AUTHORITARIAN PRECEDENT: Mandating an identity layer at the OS level mirrors the “social credit” architectures used by authoritarian regimes. Requiring government-verified registration before a citizen can use their own hardware is an un-American overreach.
ELECTORAL ACCOUNTABILITY:
I have become a single-issue voter on this subject. H.R. 8250 is a “red line” issue. While I have long admired your work on COPPA and digital rights, should you support this bill—or fail to publicly oppose it—I will see no option but to withhold my vote in your upcoming reelection and will actively organize and fundraise for your opponent, regardless of their other positions or even party.

I urge you to defend the open internet and digital privacy and oppose H.R. 8250.

Sincerely,
undersigned
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top