Let's say OS-level age verification becomes law. How do you implement it? Two possibilities:

1. The honor system. You input a DoB and the system either lets you in or asks for parental consent, but doesn't check that the date provided is your actual DoB. That would satisfy the bill as currently written, but would also be a huge waste of everyone's time. That's not what they're aiming for here.

2. Third-party verification. You input proof of identification, and the OS contacts a provider that can verify the age of the person associated with that ID. Not fullproof, maybe, but much more reliable than the alternative. But this entails some additional requirements not spelled out in the bill. For one, the OS must be connected to the internet in order to create or log into an account. For another, anytime you use a computer — any computer — you have to clear that use with a third party. And that use will be associated with some federally-mandated form of ID.

That creates huge amounts of friction in everyday life, turning even simple tasks into multi-step processes. How do we reduce that friction? First, make every device always online. Second, set up a national database for age verifying logins. Third, implement biometric recognition as the mechanism for triggering verification. Maybe OS providers also give people the option to verify by slower, less intrusive methods. Maybe not.

Linux is going to be real popular if this passes.

@dixon Nothing in the bill itself suggests to me that Linux would be exempt. Providing it to Americans without the required verification processes would open the providers up to legal action. Some might try anyway, but it would basically be black market activity at that point.

@dixon But also: Once you've got a law on the books requiring operating systems to handle age verification checks on behalf of every app in the ecosystem, it's a short step to also requiring ISPs to query the OS before allowing incoming traffic to that device. So switching to black market Linux ultimately may not be viable for anything requiring internet access.

I think the ISPs would riot. Also, feels easy enough to trick them, but admittedly I'm not a network engineer.

@dixon I suppose it need not even involve the ISPs. The US recently barred foreign-made routers. It's possible they could require router manufacturers to require verification.