System76 CEO Carl Relle has published an official response to California's Assembly Bill 1043 and Colorado's Senate Bill 26051, which require operating systems to report user age brackets to app stores and websites. Relle argues the laws are ineffective because they rely on self-reporting that can easily be circumvented, and that restricting children's access to computers could suppress future developers and innovators. He also raises concerns about New York's proposed bill, which would require third-party identity verification just to use internet-connected devices, threatening anonymous computing and enabling digital surveillance. Relle contrasts open Linux ecosystems with centralized platforms like iOS and Android, noting the laws create legal ambiguity about who qualifies as a 'device manufacturer' in open-source contexts. System76 indicates it will likely need to comply while hoping the laws are repealed or found unconstitutional.
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