From Newsgroup: alt.2600

SILENCE IS DEAFENING
"While the [age verification] bill moved through the legislature, the OSI, FSF, Software Freedom Conservancy, and Linux Foundation all sat it out rCo no testimony, no public analysis, no formal opposition on the record."
Are the adults listening?
California's computer age verification law is poison. The new California age verification law is a version of INGSOC's telescreen watching you. And the usual self-proclaimed software freedom fighters are AWOL as this attack on your freedom is executed.
Don't listen to apologists who claim this isn't a big deal. It is a huge deal. This law is not about protecting children. The California law is a ruse for laying the foundation and precedent for mandatory remote control of all operating systems. They are using children as a shield for their true intentions. It's called a 'subterfuge' or a 'pretext' to hide the real rationale. And in politics subterfuge is very common. These politicians don't care about your children. They care about control and information is control. Compliance with California's new law is highly corrosive to free software and deadly to personal privacy.
With the mandatory age verification API in place, legislators can later add more laws mandating retrieval of even more privacy-invasive information just to install and use any operating system. This is Big Brother's telescreen in your living room. And the Linux community is nearly silent on the matter, instead focused on artificial intelligence investment.
Where were the software freedom organizations when California was mandating installation of #spyware in all free and open source operating systems? Did they oppose it? Or did they support it by silence? The California age verification law is the greatest threat to software freedom in recent history., striking right at the root of software installation for all users. Yet (((crickets))).
Is silence really tacit support?
"While the [age verification] bill moved through the legislature, the OSI, FSF, Software Freedom Conservancy, and Linux Foundation all sat it out rCo no testimony, no public analysis, no formal opposition on the record."
[https://boingboing.net/2026/03/02/californias-age-verification-law-could-regulate-every-linux-command.html]
Where were they when this mandatory spyware infrastructure was being shoved down our throats? Where were the self-proclaimed software freedom fighters? Where were the calls to action? I didn't see any.
Is silence golden ... or is gold buying silence?
Let these organizations know that you oppose California's age verification spyware law and that you expect them to rally in defense of true software freedom--freedom from government oversight of your software systems. Parents--and not the spyware state--should protect their children. The government is neither your parent nor your god nor your savior and the people should send a clear message stating that.
California, stay out of my operating system! And stay the hell away from children!
@eff@mastodon.social
@linuxfoundation@social.lfx.dev
@fsf@hostux.social
@osi@opensource.org
@conservancy@sfconservancy.org
#AgeVerification #Linux #EFF #OSI #LinuxFoundation #FSF #Privacy #Cybersecurity #Surveillance #Spyware #OpenSource #OperatingSystems #FreeSoftware #SoftwareFreedom #Panopticon #BigBrother #Government
CC: @laffer1@bsd.network @leo@twit.social @MichaelRoss@social.linux.pizza @rms@mastodon.xyz @thenewoil@mastodon.thenewoil.org @TechDesk@flipboard.social @remixtures@tldr.nettime.org
--
= OCTADE = alt.rhubarb = misc.misc = sci.crypt =
= https://soc.octade.net/octade =
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.2600

On 3/4/26 15:06, OCTADE wrote:

you oppose California's age verification spyware law and that you expect them to rally in defense of true software freedom--freedom from government oversight of your software systems. Parents--and not the spyware state--should protect their children. The government is neither your parent nor your god nor your savior and the people should send a clear messag

early internet users: "children should never give out name, age, or
physical location for safety"

internet users today: "children should be forced to give out name, age,
and physical location for safety"
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.2600

[in reply to r4dnRd <r4dnRd@usenet_reborn.tui>]

On Sat, 7 Mar 2026 03:29:14 -0500
Changeling <changeling@meow.invalid> wrote:

On 3/4/26 15:06, OCTADE wrote:

you oppose California's age verification spyware law and that you expect them to rally in defense of true software freedom--freedom from government oversight of your software systems. Parents--and not the spyware state--should protect their children. The government is neither your parent nor your god nor your savior and the people should send a clear messag

early internet users: "children should never give out name, age, or physical location for safety"

internet users today: "children should be forced to give out name, age, and physical location for safety"

Ding dong. You said it.

Apropos: https://youtu.be/BULVvXrACdk

The intention seems to be clear. It is never about the children, it
is just another hook to justify abuse of power.

Someone on the mesh said that in japan is done without age
verification. Providers require id for subscription and by law
telcos filter/block sites to protect children. -That is not so good-
but parents of the child have the option to opt-out by signing a
contract taking on the responsibility to protect the child online.

Obviously is not that much better but seems more reasonable solution,
it seems in Japan are trying to solve the problem specially if they
focus on education about safe internet use.

BTW. Somebody said something prob. as a joke:

"Why do all these people in the Epstein files want to verify every
person's age?"

I really don't know if it is an exageration.
--
r4dnRd
Nevermind i he might be coding all night...
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.2600

On Sat, 7 Mar 2026 12:05:59 -0000
OCTADE <news0@octade.net> wrote:

On Sat, 7 Mar 2026 03:29:14 -0500
Changeling <changeling@meow.invalid> wrote:

On 3/4/26 15:06, OCTADE wrote:

you oppose California's age verification spyware law and that you expect them to rally in defense of true software freedom--freedom from government oversight of your software systems. Parents--and not the spyware state--should protect their children. The government is neither your parent nor your god nor your savior and the people should send a clear messag

early internet users: "children should never give out name, age, or physical location for safety"

internet users today: "children should be forced to give out name, age, and physical location for safety"

Ding dong. You said it.

Apropos: https://youtu.be/BULVvXrACdk

I neglected attribution:

"Ding dong!" ~ Romeo the Mexican Fighter

You said it. ~ MacManus Brothers

--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.2600

On Sat, 7 Mar 2026 17:38:11 -0000 (UTC), r4dnRd
<r4dnRd@usenet_reborn.tui> wrote:

"Why do all these people in the Epstein files want to verify every
person's age?"

Maybe the chances of picking up AIDS increases with the
victim's age?
IOW they want to make sure their victims are very young?

PS I wonder when Trump is going to come clean and stop
painting over his Kaposi's sarcoma lesions with that horrible orange
paint.
[]'s

Another PS. Kaposi's sarcoma is very common in passive
homosexuals. That's a mere coincidence, of course.
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012
Google Fuchsia - 2021
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.2600

On Sat, 7 Mar 2026 03:29:14 -0500
Changeling <changeling@meow.invalid> wrote:

On 3/4/26 15:06, OCTADE wrote:

you oppose California's age verification spyware law and that you expect them to rally in defense of true software freedom--freedom from government oversight of your software systems. Parents--and not the spyware state--should protect their children. The government is neither your parent nor your god nor your savior and the people should send a clear messag

early internet users: "children should never give out name, age, or
physical location for safety"

internet users today: "children should be forced to give out name, age,
and physical location for safety"

Ding dong. You said it.

Apropos: https://youtu.be/BULVvXrACdk



--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2