California’s Digital Age Assurance Act is due to require operating-system providers to carry out age checks from the start of 2027, but a newly passed amendment exempts open-source systems such as Linux. The change matters because it removes the prospect of age-verification requirements being imposed on Linux distributions, while limiting the data that covered providers can collect.

Assembly Bill 1856 passed by 39 votes to none and defines exempt software as licensed to allow recipients to copy, redistribute and modify it. Windows, Android, macOS and iOS remain affected, while SteamOS’s status is uncertain because it is Linux-based but includes proprietary components; users may still need to verify their age through Steam for restricted games. The amendment also requires providers to obtain only the minimum information needed for checks.