Age verification laws just reached the Linux init system. Systemd added an optional birthDate field to user records - not a policy engine, just a data slot other projects can build on. That was not enough to stop a fork. Liberated systemd removes it entirely, and the debate is not going away.

California's Digital Age Assurance Act mandates operating systems to share users' age data with app developers via a real-time API by 2027. The law faces criticism for depending on self-reported ages, potentially affecting its efficacy.