In January, Colorado lawmakers introduced SB26-051, a bill mandating that operating systems collect users' ages and transmit this data to app developers. The proposal was designed to enable developers to disable age-inappropriate experiences for children, aligning with broader efforts to age-gate the internet through device-level restrictions.
However, the bill drew immediate criticism from Linux developers, including Carl Richell, founder and CEO of Denver-based System76 and developer of the Pop!_OS Linux distribution. Richell expressed dismay over the legislation, arguing that while it targets commercial platforms like iOS and Android, it could impose unnecessary burdens on Linux users.
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