If it's really a big deal tell them the users are welcome to put their birthday/state id in their GECOS field. There's no technical way to force them to do that though; they're machine is in their security domain.
--Stephen On Wed, Mar 04, 2026 at 06:20:07PM -0500, Gabe Bauer wrote: > Do you want to FAFO? 13 days is not a lot of time, and $9.6 million is a > lot of money is all I'm saying...I would like this to be a no-op, but I am > certainly no lawyer or legal expert... > > On Wed, Mar 4, 2026 at 5:50 PM Stephen Wiley <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Since open source OSes don't really distinguish between users and > > developers: thinking your age to yourself effectively verifies your age > > with the OS developers. > > > > The whole thing seems like a no-op to me. > > > > --Stephen > > > > On Wed, Mar 04, 2026 at 05:42:26PM -0500, Gabe Bauer wrote: > > > Hello! > > > > > > I assume that somebody has likely already informed Theo about the new > > > operating system level age verification law that takes effect in > > California > > > starting January 1st of next year? > > > > > > There are also similar efforts making their way through Colorado and New > > > York at the moment. > > > > > > Most pressingly, a bill with hefty fines for non compliance (about 9.6 > > > million USD), which is enough to completely sink the OpenBSD Foundation > > and > > > project, and it takes effect starting thirteen days from now. > > > > > > Are there any proposed solutions to this? > > > > > > I believe the Brazilian law is more stringent on what is required to > > comply > > > with the measure, including, correct me if I am wrong, actual government > > ID > > > submission, which is likely not feasible for a default OpenBSD > > > installation. > > > > > > Does the OpenBSD project plan to implement the necessary measures to > > comply > > > with these laws, or will they take the route of MidnightBSD, by simply > > > stipulating in the license that people in these areas are not allowed to > > > use the software? > > > > > > This is VERY important to me as I am sure it is to you, too, as I am sure > > > all of us would like to see projects like this one to continue to exist. > > > > > > I am fairly certain that the California law likely violates the US > > > constitution, but may go unchallenged. > > > > > > I am less certain about the constitutionality of the Brazilian law within > > > its own borders. > > > > > > I hope this project does not suffer an unkind fate. Thank you for your > > > attention to this matter!! > > > >
