Ubuntu & Elementary OS Linux distributions are planning how to implement age verification functionality (for all user accounts on their OS), in order to comply with a new California law. “We're curre

On the unfortunate need for an "age verification" API for legal
compliance reasons in some states
Aaron Rainbolt arraybolt3 at gmail.com
Sun Mar I 19:48:00 UTC 2026
Next message thread): On the unfortunate need for an "age verification" API for legal compliance reasons in some states
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Given that this is related to legal stuff, I should preface this
saying I not a lawyer.
Recently, a new law was passed in California that requires vendors
to provide some limited info about a user's age via an API that
application distribution websites and application stores can use.
[1]
Colorado seems to be working a similar law.
[2] The law will into
effect January 1,
2027,
it is no longer a draft.
I quite a bit of
work with an vendor (working with the Kicksecure [3] and Whonix [4]
projects),
and we aren't particularly interested in blocking everyone
in California and Colorado from using our OSes,
so we're currently
looking into how to implement an API that will comply with the laws
while also not being a privacy disaster. Given that other distributions
are also investigating what to with this,
and the law requires to
make a "good faith effort to comply with [the] title, taking into
consideration available technology",
I figured it would be a good idea
to bring the issue here.