US state laws push age checks into the operating system

"This bill, beginning January 1, 2027, would require, among other things related to age verification with respect to software applications, an operating system provider, as defined, to provide an accessible interface at account setup that requires an account holder, as defined, to indicate the birth date, age, or both, of the user of that device."

"Colorado's Senate Bill 26-051, titled 'A Bill for an Act Concerning age attestation for users of computing devices,' requires OS vendors to collect and store age brackets for users, and tell app stores if they're underage - and developers must check for it. If you fail to do this negligently, there's a $2,500 fine; if you do so intentionally, it's $7,500."

"New York Senate Bill S8102A goes further. It 'requires manufacturers of internet-enabled devices to conduct age assurance' to check all users' ages, and provide this info to 'all websites, online services, online applications and mobile applications' - as well as app stores."

California, Colorado, and New York have enacted or proposed legislation requiring operating system providers to collect user age or birth date information at account setup and share this data with app stores and online services. California's AB 1043 takes effect January 1, 2027, mandating OS vendors provide accessible age verification interfaces and inform app stores of user ages. Colorado's SB 26-051 requires age bracket collection with penalties of $2,500 for negligent violations and $7,500 for intentional ones. New York's S8102A extends requirements to all internet-enabled device manufacturers and mandates age information sharing with websites, online services, and applications. These regulations pose significant compliance burdens for free and open-source software vendors compared to commercial operating system providers.

Read at Theregister