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California exempts Linux and open-source software from new age verification law

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Recap: California will require software vendors to verify users' ages at the operating system level in the coming months. Thanks to the latest changes approved by the state's Assembly, the new draconian requirements will not apply to software projects designed to be modified or copied.

For the time being, Linux and other open-source software projects are safe from California's upcoming age-verification law. State lawmakers recently passed Bill 1856, which introduces several significant amendments to the original Digital Age Assurance Act (DAAA) and its age-verification requirements.

Bill 1856 defines an "operating system provider" as a person or organization that develops, licenses, or otherwise controls an OS product for computers, phones, or other general-purpose computing devices. The law also states that operating systems or software applications intended to be copied, redistributed, or...

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