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Late Night Linux Late Night Linux – Episode 376
8 snips
Mar 10, 2026 Conversation about laws pushing age verification into operating systems and the privacy trade offs that creates. Debate over hardware locks, locked bootloaders, and whether open source can fight back. A licensing flap over AI-assisted relicensing and fears that LLMs could weaken copyleft. A new Android app to detect Meta Ray-Ban camera glasses and the privacy issues of wearable cameras.
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Operating Systems May Be Forced To Report User Age
- Legislators are pushing OS-level age verification and some laws could require OS account setup to report age groups to websites.
- Joe and Will worry this expands into hardware-locked approved OSes and bootloader locks, leaving older devices usable but new hardware restricted.
Rely On Open Source To Preserve Trust If Age Checks Arrive
- Use open source and community scrutiny if OS-level age checks become law to retain trust and auditability.
- Joe cites Asahi as an example: community projects can overcome vendor lock when motivated and skilled.
Bootloader Locks Could Enforce Age Verified OSes
- Hardware vendors could lock bootloaders and BIOS so machines only run approved OSes with age verification, making circumvention difficult.
- Will and Félim point to ARM and vendor control as realistic paths to enforce such restrictions.
