California lawmakers unanimously pass Linux exemption from age-verification law — software distributed under the GPL, MIT, BSD, and Apache licenses are exempt
Summary
California AB 1856 exempts open-source operating systems from the Digital Age Assurance Act, shielding Linux distributions under GPL, MIT, BSD, and Apache licenses from age-verification requirements. The amendments redefine 'operating system provider' and introduce exclusions for app stores and certain storefronts, with Governor Newsom signing the bill into law; the piece explores implications for OSS ecosystems and platforms like SteamOS.