I appreciate the principled stand, but on the other hand the CA law only requires users to self-identify when setting up accounts (and then the OS will expose age to apps), that seems fairly toothless (though wrongheaded) compared to TX and UT wanting to scan photo IDs[1]

1: https://www.tomshardware.com/software/operating-systems/cali...

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BobbyJo 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Why should we be ok with laws just because they won't accomplish anything?

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nullpoint420 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Until CA matches the TX and UT laws. Boiling the frog

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jibe 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

To be clear, the Texas law only applies to mobile app stores, not the operating system, and there is no requirement to scan photo ID, just the vague,” commercially reasonable method of verification.”

	▲	incompatible 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		"Commercially reasonable" would be something cheap, like ask a chatbot for an opinion.

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phendrenad2 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Except for the fact that my age is now a piece of information that any tracking pixel or web malware can access at all times to de-anonymize me, even in incognito mode. But maybe that can be solved by collapsing all ages above 18 to just 18. Not sure if that violates the wording of the law though.

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bee_rider 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

That is the wording of the California law, IIRC. The age brackets are under 13, 13-16, 16-18, and over 18. It also requires the OS to provide only the minimum information necessary to comply with the law, and only when necessary to comply with the law.

	▲	themafia 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		What can I show to 16-18 year olds that I can't show to 13-16 year olds? The real meat of the law is requiring websites and applications to comply with this signal. Which would be one good reason why there are so many categories of seeming little difference. This then gives them the opportunity to fine and harass developers out of business for the most minor of infractions or instances of mislabeling.

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blacksmith_tb 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

But the "fact" that I told the OS I was 99yr old might be the data they're getting? To anyone who's setting up their own machine, it will be effectively optional: if you just want to make sure you fall in the "adult" bracket, you will tell the OS you're 25 (even if you're 13... or 99...). For kids whose parents are setting up devices, it could be an actual headache (assuming they're honest), but in that sense it's like a lot of other nannyware solutions, probably clunky, but possibly not all bad?