[thayne]

> How would you react to this law if the requirement was only that the operating system had to ask the user what age bracket it should report to sites? You get to pick it, it isn't mandatory that it be checked, and it doesn't need to be a date, just the bucket. Is that still too onerous?

Isn't that what the CA law is?

[db48x]

Almost. Technically an adult must create an account for any non–adult who wants to use the computer, and configure it with the appropriate age category.

Honestly it’s the dumbest thing ever. Best just not to play that game.

[ohhnoodont]

How is that dumb? It seems reasonable and pragmatic. If the current status quo is ID uploads and face scans, this seems like the better approach. It shifts the responsibility back to parents. All adult service operators have to do is filter requests with the underage HTTP header set.

[db48x]

How about the part where children cannot legally create accounts of their own, on computers that they own? I did that by the time I was 10.

> It shifts the responsibility back to parents.

Without these stupid laws parents already _have_ that responsibility.

[ohhnoodont]

> How about the part where children cannot legally create accounts of their own, on computers that they own?

Where is that actually stated in any law being discussed? If a parent gives a child a device with admin access, that’s their choice to do so. But it also makes sense that we, the minds behind all of this technology, also provide parents with the most basic of tools to restrict a child’s access online and hold accountable companies that knowingly serve adult content to children. That’s all the CA law does AFAIK.

Sure, my generation was raised on 4chan. But I can understand why parents today may want the tools to limit that.

[idle_zealot]

Unfortunately no. There's a requirement that the OS disregard the user-indicated age if it has reason to think they're lying. Presumably this creates the obligation to monitor the user for such indicators.

[vineyardmike]

I assume this is less "if they're lying" and more "if you've independently collected this data". It doesn't require you to challenge the user-indicated age, it requires you to use your own signal before that of the OS.

As a silly example, tax software probably has your full birthday, including year, which is more precise. Many social networks collected this data, as did a lot of major tech companies that implemented parental controls already.