Age verification could soon be mandated on major operating systems like Windows 11, macOS, and even Linux due to new laws requiring tech companies to participate to protect minors, give guardians more control over digital access, and generally comply with regional regulations.
According to a report by Gaming on Linux, a new bill co-sponsored by New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer and New York Republican Elise Stefanik has been introduced in the US House, requiring operating systems to verify a user's age before proceeding with initial installation (via PC Gamer).
Consequently, users of these operating systems, whether temporarily or as their daily drivers, will be required to enter their date of birth when setting up an account. The "Parents Decide Act" will also require OS providers like Windows to "develop a system to allow an app developer to access any information as is necessary, collected by the operating system to carry out this section and any regulation promulgated under this section, to verify the date of birth of a user of an app of the app developer."
Essentially, this only means that the apps and programs installed on your device will have access to your date of birth. While it seems fair to establish control over what minors can access online and give parents the upper hand in digital access, it remains unclear whether the age-verification checks will affect privacy and data security with their methods.
Right now, the proposed bill is a tad vague, lacking clear definitions, leaving open-ended questions hanging in the air. For instance, how would age verification work on Linux-based platforms if the bill were passed? Unlike Windows, Linux doesn't have centralized accounts, and users can download "distros" from global mirrors and modify the source code freely.
Does age verification feel intrusive and sketchy?
As early as next year, California’s Digital Age Assurance Act will require all operating system providers in the state, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux distros like SteamOS, to collect users’ age information during setup.
GrapheneOS, an Android-based OS spin-off, recently indicated that it won't be party to emerging laws requiring mandatory age verification during setup: "GrapheneOS will remain usable by anyone around the world without requiring personal information, identification or an account," added the OS provider. "If GrapheneOS devices can't be sold in a region due to their regulations, so be it."
However, age verification isn't a new phenomenon. In fact, it almost feels synonymous with the operating system, as it's a mandatory requirement when setting up a Microsoft Account.
Interestingly, Microsoft pledged to improve the general user sentiment around Windows 11 in January by addressing the major pain points across the operating system. Some of these measures could include scrapping the mandatory Microsoft account when setting up a new PC.
It'll be interesting to see how Microsoft handles this issue when age verification becomes a mandatory requirement for all OS providers.
Hardware mandates software. A possibility has to be freed from restrictions.