AB-1043 “Age verification signals: software applications and online services.”
Text https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1043
Other info https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1043
California AB 1043 signed. Mandatory os-level, device-level, app store, and even developer-required age verification for all computing devices.
But when Newsom runs for president, he’ll be able to say he protected the children! Why don’t you want to protect the children, Fluffy Kitty Cat?? Why do you revel in the abuse and exploitation of children??? HOW MANY SUFFERING CHILDREN DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR BASEMENT TORTURE DUNGEON???
Newsom would be a terrible president. We need to break the fake ‘protect the children’ mentality that makes evil bills like this (that don’t protect children ever) possible in the fist place.
That’s never going to happen because people love that shit. Politicians love it because it’s an easy moral win, and constituents love it because it reinforces their world view (the person I voted for is actually doing something good, it must mean my opinions are right).
I think the real solution is education, so people understand the underlying problem. A politician could say that we should imprison all adult males to protect the children (citing the overwhelming amount of child abuse committed by men), but even the smoothest of brains can see how stupid that is.
Idk if it’s possible to educate people about privacy at the scale that’s needed to permanently prevent these kinds of stupid laws… It’s probably hopeless, at least while Gen X and older are still alive and voting.