California’s Problematic Attempt To Add Age-Verification To Software
Hackaday • • technology
Key Points:
- California’s Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), effective January 1, 2027, mandates operating system providers to implement an API for age verification during account setup, categorizing users into one of four age brackets.
- Application developers and app stores must use this age data to filter software access, with penalties for non-compliance reaching up to $7,500 per affected child for intentional violations.
- Critics, including Governor Newsom, have expressed concerns about the bill’s practicality and potential unintended consequences, noting that its enforcement mechanisms and reliability appear weak.
- The bill relies on self-reported age data without robust verification, raising questions about its effectiveness, especially in cases of false reporting or shared devices.
- While
