Will we have to choose between privacy-friendly Linux distros vs legal Linux distros?

2026-03-24 12:36 UTC

Software changes for compliance with age-verification laws are being pushed a bit everywhere in Linux-development; for example: In Systemd, already merged. In xdg.desktop.portal (a portal frontend service for Flatpak and other desktop containment frameworks), still open. In Arch Linux, still open. In Freedesktop.org, still open. It’s interesting that it’s the same small group of people behind these pull requests, and that discussion threads in them have been locked owing to a great amount of negative criticisms. They say “we have to comply with the law”. Which also means that if “the law” in the future will require proper verification, handling to 3rd-parties, or whatnot, then they will comply. Well, it’s their right to. They don’t owe anything to anyone, and are under no obligation to report to users or to the community, nor to pay heed to anybody’s wishes. If things proceed in this direction, we users may at some point have to choose between privacy-friendly Linux distributions or legal Linux distributions. People who, like me, are worried, need to start thinking about concrete actions to take before it’s too late: where to develop such distros? which channels to download and distribute them from? And so on. (And of course, more generally we need to write and protest to politicians, organize protest marches, go on strike, refuse to comply…) It’s good to remind to those who keep on repeating the words “legal” and “illegal” that for example Nelson Mandela was, technically speaking, a criminal who did and promoted illegal activity. This happens when laws become immoral.

Replies (13)

@mrbigmouth502@piefed.zip 2026-03-24 12:48

Don't comply in advance, that's what I say. Unfortunately, that's what systemd is doing, and what archinstall, xdg-desktop-portal, and Freedesktop.org are on the verge of doing. For the vast majority of people who don't live in California, including myself, California law can go fly a kite.

Open ##1745054
@Skullgrid@lemmy.world 2026-03-24 13:20

It's all one fucking guy! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS BOOTLICKER DOING?! > Dylan M. Taylor > dylanmtaylor this fucker

Open ##1745055
@moxymarauder@thelemmy.club 2026-03-24 20:48

I don't get why gnu/linux devs are even involved in this. They aren't serving the content, how are they liable?

Open ##1745064
@Skankhunt420@sh.itjust.works 2026-03-24 16:24

I already have the distros downloaded that are against this. If it comes for my favorite distro that I use everyday I will immediately uninstall it and instance one of the ones that isn't bending over to let Uncle Sam and others take them from behind. All they had to do was say they wouldn't support people from the places that those laws were or would be enacted in. That's it. That's all they fucking had to do. I will also add that it disappoints me so so much that so many of my fellow Linux enthusiasts aren't more upset or even just plain old _cautious_ about this. It actually hurts my head to think about. I don't get it. Don't we all usually have about the same goals in mind with this? Open, meaning not invasive. Not windows (spyware) and no telemetry meaning privacy respecting? What the fuck is happening?

Open ##1745065
@artyom@piefed.social 2026-03-24 20:14

I honestly don't know because when it comes to Linux, it's super complicated. Because it is essentially a collection of packages developed by various organizations and contributors from all over the world. I suspect you won't even be able to choose "illegal" distros either because the distro is only half of the equation. The app stores are required to require an age signal as well, and if you don't provide one they probably won't let you download. Flathub is run by GNOME out of CA, so they'll most certainly comply. I suspect this will result in new mirrored repositories located outside the US but who knows really?

Open ##1745066
@Zurgo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2026-03-25 04:20

What is stopping everyone from having the same birthday? I propose 1969-01-01

Open ##1745070
@hendrik@palaver.p3x.de 2026-03-24 17:09

Already a thing. We can choose between Ubuntu, who restrict your freedom and privacy in the Snap store, and have experimented with weird things like forward your desktop search to the internet or integrate Amazon into your desktop. Or you can pick a different distro. Some have telemetry, some ask you for your permission and even patch user software so it doesn't send telemetry per default. Some were kinda illegal and distributed libcss2.

Open ##1745071
@adubya@feddit.online 2026-03-24 18:37

Praying for us 'I use Arch BTW' people to have our day in the sun. Don't fail us!

Open ##1745072
@DmMacniel@feddit.org 2026-03-24 17:17

When privacy is outlawed, what do you think?

Open ##1745073
@Rhoerii@lemmy.wtf 2026-03-28 19:08

Such bullshit. It's fucking everywhere now too. The fact that this even touched the linux world is mind-boggling to me.

Open ##1745074
@tux0r@snac.rosaelefanten.org 2026-03-25 12:12

Luckily, OpenBSD does not do that,

Open ##1745075
@MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2026-03-29 14:44

I do worry. Technically right now the age thing in systemd is just a stored field that you can set to anything easily. In its current form pretty benign and not a privacy issue. But it almost always gets *worse* and more and more controls get added, until we're at face verification services and other privacy invasive stuff.

Open ##1745076
@corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 2026-03-24 20:51

- flatpaks violate iso27002 so they are dead to me - I don't use arch - I may not be victim of the accountsservice We should move away from Systemd. Look how easily they give up our privacy (and how lennart@microsoft blocks the revert). If not for a hundred other reasons, let's get to post-systemd for this.

Open ##1745077