System76 Leads FOSS Fight Against Mandatory OS-Level Age Verification Spreading Across US States

Linux PC vendor System76 is leading the fight against mandatory OS-level age verification laws spreading across US states, with CEO Carl Richell directly engaging Colorado lawmakers.

The Legislation Wave

States considering or debating OS age verification bills:

• California — Under consideration
• Colorado — System76's home state; some progress in negotiations
• New York — Under consideration
• Illinois — Senate Bill 3977
• Louisiana — House Bill 570
• Texas — SB 2420
• Utah — SB 142

Brazil has already passed similar legislation: Law Number 15.211/2025.

System76's Position

System76 CEO Carl Richell published "System76 on Age Verification Laws" and is directly engaging with Colorado legislators. The company is based in Denver, Colorado's state capital.

The Core Issue

Mandatory OS-level age verification requires:

• Personal information collection just to use an operating system
• Violates Linux's founding principle of anonymous access
• Could prevent distribution of Linux in regulated jurisdictions
• Tech-illiterate legislators being pressured by campaign groups

The "Lovejoy's Law" Problem

"Won't somebody please think of the children?" — The Simpsons, and now the driving force behind tech legislation. The Register traced this phenomenon back to 1999.

Global Context

• UK: House of Lords voted to ban social media for under-16s
• UK ICO: Fined Reddit £14.47M for letting kids past age gates
• Discord: Age verification debut delayed to second half of 2026

Source: The Register