(Please don't use a URL as the subject line; I think that's why my email sent this to my spam folder.)
On Tue, May 26, 2026 at 2:39 PM Wilhelm Spiegl wrote: Subject: https://www.golem.de/news/open-source-kalifornien-definiert-anbieter-eines-betriebssystems-neu-2605-209045.html > > hi Jim, > Use a translator or ai to read this. It says that the california problem has > changed. > I saw that update earlier today in my tech news feed, and I've been looking at it. For reference, here's the link to the California bill being moved forward: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1856 Assembly Bill 1856 (AB 1856) has been proposed, and is now working its way through the Assembly. If passed, it will amend the AB 1043 "Age verification signals" law, which we discussed on this list earlier this year. Here's a link to AB 1043: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1043 You can see the proposed changes (in AB 1856) in red strikethrough text (to delete) and blue text (to add). The important changes are that "operating system vendor" would exclude open source projects, and "applications" would not include software that is not normally offered via an app store. :: SECTION 1. Section 1798.500 of the Civil Code is amended to read: :: :: 1798.500. For the purposes of this title: :: :: [..] :: :: (c) (1) “Application” means a software application that may be run or :: directed by a user on a computer, a mobile device, or any other general :: purpose computing device that can access a covered application store or :: download an application. :: :: (2) “Application” does not include software components that are not :: themselves offered to consumers as a stand-alone executable application :: through a covered application store. :: :: [..] :: :: (j) (1) “Operating system provider” means a person or entity that :: develops, licenses, or controls the operating system software on a :: computer, mobile device, or any other general purpose computing device. :: :: (2) “Operating system provider” does not mean a person or entity :: that distributes an operating system or application under license terms :: that permit a recipient to copy, redistribute, and modify the software. This is a much better situation for all open source projects, including FreeDOS and Linux. If they pass this updated version, that means (j)(2) would exclude FreeDOS from this stupid age verification law. _______________________________________________ Freedos-devel mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
