California Wants To Exclude Linux and Other Open Source Systems From New Age Checks

A proposed change to California's Digital Age Assurance Act aims to exempt open source operating systems from age verification rules set to take effect on January 1, 2027. The amendment, published on May 18, 2026, introduces language that excludes any operating system or application distributed under license terms allowing copying, redistribution, and modification from the definition of "operating system provider." If approved, Linux distributions, FreeBSD, and other open source operating system