California's new AB 1043 law requires age verification at account setup for all operating systems, including Linux and SteamOS. OS providers must also supply a real-time age-checking API to app developers, raising major concerns for the gaming and open-source communities.
PC Gamer reports California Assembly Bill 1043, approved in 2025 and effective January 1, 2027, requires operating system providers to collect age input at account setup and provide age-bracket signals to app developers via API.
Discord is facing privacy concerns after changing its data handling vendor for UK age verification, with users calling it a 'privacy bait-and-switch.'
Researchers revealed how to bypass K-ID, Discord's age verification provider. They can generate legitimate-appearing metadata without actual biometric data, fooling the system.