https://www.pcgamer.com/software/operating-systems/a-new-california-law-says-all-operating-systems-including-linux-need-to-have-some-form-of-age-verification-at-account-setup/ [] Skip to main content (*) ( ) Open menu Close main menu PC Gamer PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES US Edition flag of US UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia Subscribe Sign in * * View Profile * Sign out [ ] Search Search PC Gamer [ ] * * Games * Hardware * News * Reviews * Guides * Video * Forum * More + PC Gaming Show + PC Gamer Clips + Software + Codes + Coupons + Movies & TV + Magazine + Newsletter + Affiliate links + Meet the team + Community guidelines + About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine Subscription PC Gamer Magazine Subscription Why subscribe? * Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag * Try a single issue or save on a subscription * Issues delivered straight to your door or device From$1 Subscribe now Don't miss these Linux Designer Linus Torvalds - stock photo. Linus Torvalds was the designer of the open-source operating system Linux. Linux 'We have a new major number purely because I'm easily confused and not good with big numbers' says Linus Torvalds about Linux 7.0 Valve logo with a man with a steam valve for an eye. Gaming Industry New York sues Valve for 'letting children and adults illegally gamble' with loot boxes The Discord logo is displayed on a smartphone screen and on a computer screen in Athens, Greece, on April 17, 2024. (Photo Illustration by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Security Security researchers claim Persona, the provider behind Discord's UK age verification 'experiment', performs '269 individual verification checks' on user data, including those for terrorism and espionage Discord logo displayed on a phone screen and Discord website displayed on a screen in the background are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on November 5, 2022. Platforms Discord delays its global age verification after upsetting almost everyone on Earth: 'We've made mistakes' The Discord logo on a phone on top of a dark laptop Hardware Age verification checks are now in force in the UK because of the Online Safety Act, but with the Discord fallout, it seems like one bad idea after another EDMONTON, CANADA - APRIL 28: An image of a woman holding a cell phone in front of the Discord logo displayed on a computer screen, on April 29, 2024, in Edmonton, Canada. Platforms Oh, good: Discord's age verification rollout has ties to Palantir co-founder and panopticon architect Peter Thiel Twitch logo Hardware Panopticon patch Tuesday: Twitch requires Peter Thiel-funded Persona ID verification for some Affiliates to get their first payouts A screenshot of a 3D model being used to pass the DIscord age verification system Hardware Someone has already made a free in-browser 3D model to bypass Discord age verification that 'works on any potato computer' Detail of the US Homeland Security on a computer screen Platforms US Department of Homeland Security has reportedly demanded personal information about ICE's critics from Discord, Reddit, Google, and Meta--and at least 3 of those platforms have complied Discord Hardware Discord clarifies it 'is not requiring everyone to complete a face scan or upload an ID' and will 'confirm your age group using information we already have' The Roblox corporate headquarters Gaming Industry Roblox responds to LA County lawsuit, the latest of many alleging the game fails to protect children from predators: 'While no system can be perfect, our commitment to safety never ends' A man chats online using an Internet Relay Chat program logged onto an Internet chatroom in Singapore, 07 August 2000. Singapore's Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said that using hi-tech equipment, Singapore police was ready to combat computer crimes, citing the example of the police arrest of a 19-year-old using an Internet chatroom to sell the banned drug, ecstasy. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/Roslan RAHMAN (Photo by ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP) (Photo by ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images) Games Discord's new age verification rules got you down? Allow me to suggest an alternative: Internet Relay Chat The new TeamSpeak overhaul. Hardware TeamSpeak claims an 'incredible surge of new users' has maxed out its hosting capacity in multiple regions as many would-be voice chatters seek a Discord alternative EDMONTON, CANADA - APRIL 28: An image of a woman holding a cell phone in front of the Discord logo displayed on a computer screen, on April 29, 2024, in Edmonton, Canada. Platforms Here's what happens if you don't complete Discord age verification BATH, UNITED KINGDOM - DECEMBER 23: In this photo illustration a 13-year-old teenage boy looks at an iPhone screen displaying various social media apps on December 23, 2025 in Bath, England. Recently the Australian Senate passed a law to ban children under 16 from having social media accounts and social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram potentially being be fined for preventing children younger than 16 from having social media accounts. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images) Games Reddit fined nearly $20 million by UK online privacy regulator for 'using children's data unlawfully, potentially exposing them to inappropriate and harmful content' Popular * NEW: PC Gamer Clips! * Resident Evil * Arc Raiders * Best PC gear * Game Quizzes 1. Software 2. Operating Systems A new California law says all operating systems, including Linux, need to have some form of age verification at account setup News By Andy Edser published 27 February 2026 I wonder how the government of California plans to enforce it? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works. MANNING, SOUTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 23: California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to a crowd during an event hosted by the South Carolina Democratic Party at the Carter-Sullivan American Legion on February 23, 2026 in Manning, South Carolina. The Governor had scheduled appearances in Pineville, Manning and Rock Hill, South Carolina on Monday. 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Assembly Bill No. 1043 was approved by California governor Gavin Newsom in October of last year, and becomes active on January 1, 2027 (via The Lunduke Journal). The bill states, among other factors, that "An operating system provider shall do all of the following:" "(1) Provide an accessible interface at account setup that requires an account holder to indicate the birth date, age, or both, of the user of that device for the purpose of providing a signal regarding the user's age bracket to applications available in a covered application store. Related articles * The Discord logo on a phone on top of a dark laptop 'There's no reason for Discord to comply in advance' with social media age verification laws instead of 'fighting for their users' says EFF expert * The Discord logo is displayed on a smartphone screen and on a computer screen in Athens, Greece, on April 17, 2024. (Photo Illustration by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Security researchers claim Persona, the provider behind Discord's UK age verification 'experiment', performs '269 individual verification checks' on user data, including those for terrorism and espionage * EDMONTON, CANADA - APRIL 28: An image of a woman holding a cell phone in front of the Discord logo displayed on a computer screen, on April 29, 2024, in Edmonton, Canada. Here's what happens if you don't complete Discord age verification "(2) Provide a developer who has requested a signal with respect to a particular user with a digital signal via a reasonably consistent real-time application programming interface that identifies, at a minimum, which of the following categories pertains to the user." The categories are broken into four sections: users under 13 years of age, over 13 years of age under 16, at least 16 years of age and under 18, and "at least 18 years of age." OneXPlayer OneXFly with the Bazzite Linux distribution on the screen (Image credit: Future) In essence, while the bill doesn't seem to require the most egregious forms of age verification (face scans or similar), it does require OS providers to collect age verification of some form at the account/ user creation stage--and to be able to pass a segmented version of that information to outside developers upon request. That's likely no big deal for Windows, which already requires you to enter your date of birth during the Microsoft Account setup procedure. However, the idea that all operating system providers need to comply (in California) has drawn a fair degree of ire from certain Linux communities. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. [ ][ ]Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands[ ]Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors[Sign me up] By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. "This is basically impossible for California to enforce" says CatoDomine on the Linuxmint subreddit. "Even if Linux Mint decides to add some kind of age verification, to comply with CA law, there's no reason anyone would choose that version." Comment from r/linuxmint "It's more likely they will put a disclaimer on their website: "not for use in California." Looking at the wider picture, however, mandatory age verification appears to be a growing trend. The UK government's current implementation under the Online Safety Act has come under heavy fire for privacy concerns, while platforms like Discord have received similar critique for their face-scanning age verification efforts, not least because of associations with companies that may not be using the collected data for mere age-confirmation purposes. And while this implementation is California-specific, it does speak to a wider desire from governments to enforce age verification on a legal level--even if in this case, it seems virtually impossible to effectively enact. AMD Ryzen 9 9800X3D processor Best PC build 2026 All our favorite gear 1. Best CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 2. Best motherboard: MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi 3. Best RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32 GB DDR5-7200 4. Best SSD: WD_Black SN7100 5. Best graphics card: AMD Radeon RX 9070 Check out our list of guides Andy Edser Andy Edser Hardware Writer Andy built his first gaming PC at the tender age of 12, when IDE cables were a thing and high resolution wasn't--and he hasn't stopped since. Now working as a hardware writer for PC Gamer, Andy spends his time jumping around the world attending product launches and trade shows, all the while reviewing every bit of PC gaming hardware he can get his hands on. You name it, if it's interesting hardware he'll write words about it, with opinions and everything. View More You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Logout Read more The Discord logo on a phone on top of a dark laptop 'There's no reason for Discord to comply in advance' with social media age verification laws instead of 'fighting for their users' says EFF expert The Discord logo is displayed on a smartphone screen and on a computer screen in Athens, Greece, on April 17, 2024. (Photo Illustration by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Security researchers claim Persona, the provider behind Discord's UK age verification 'experiment', performs '269 individual verification checks' on user data, including those for terrorism and espionage EDMONTON, CANADA - APRIL 28: An image of a woman holding a cell phone in front of the Discord logo displayed on a computer screen, on April 29, 2024, in Edmonton, Canada. Here's what happens if you don't complete Discord age verification The Discord logo on a phone on top of a dark laptop Age verification checks are now in force in the UK because of the Online Safety Act, but with the Discord fallout, it seems like one bad idea after another The Discord logo is displayed on a smartphone screen and on a computer screen in Athens, Greece, on April 17, 2024. (Photo Illustration by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Discord is rolling out facial scanning and ID checks globally in March for users who don't want to be locked into a 'teen-appropriate experience' Discord logo displayed on a phone screen and Discord website displayed on a screen in the background are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on November 5, 2022. Discord delays its global age verification after upsetting almost everyone on Earth: 'We've made mistakes' Latest in Operating Systems Linux Designer Linus Torvalds - stock photo. Linus Torvalds was the designer of the open-source operating system Linux. 'We have a new major number purely because I'm easily confused and not good with big numbers' says Linus Torvalds about Linux 7.0 A Microsoft Copilot app homepage, for Andy Microsoft's AI PC beginner's guide demonstrates how convoluted its branding has become, but hey, at least 'AI is not here to replace you' Solid Snake, pointing his silenced pistol. My favourite thing about Linux gaming will now automagically apply crucial fan patches to your Metal Gear installs, making it even easier than on Windows Windows 11 2H22 update screenshots Windows 11 is getting a handy internet speed test built right into the taskbar Microsoft Windows 11 Rufus developers have been blocked from downloading Windows ISOs, and believe there to be 'active intentional involvement from Microsoft' A view of a gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) penguin at the Paradise Bay in the Gerlache Strait -which separates the Palmer Archipelago from the Antarctic Peninsula, on January 20, 2024. Scientists and researchers from various countries are collaborating on projects during the X Antarctic Expedition aboard the Colombian research vessel 'ARC Simon Bolivar,' designed exclusively to develop scientific projects. These initiatives involve analyzing the current condition of the Antarctic sea, studying atmospheric pressure, and monitoring the species inhabiting this region of the planet. After Microsoft couldn't keep its AI hands to itself, a notoriously complex Linux distro has started its long march away from GitHub Latest in News MANNING, SOUTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 23: California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to a crowd during an event hosted by the South Carolina Democratic Party at the Carter-Sullivan American Legion on February 23, 2026 in Manning, South Carolina. The Governor had scheduled appearances in Pineville, Manning and Rock Hill, South Carolina on Monday. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images) A new California law says all operating systems, including Linux, need to have some form of age verification at account setup Screenshot from Bungie's Marathon reboot. Do not use until 12 April 2025, 11 PDT. 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