The way I expect this to go down is that Android/iOS/etc. will roll out an age bracket API call in the near future and tie that API call to some set of foundational permissions (e.g. internet access / file access / etc) - they have done this in the past, notably for API deprecation.

A minimally invasive implementation of this will likely only restrict apps running if the OS itself is being run in a kids-mode .

(But that isn't what the laws actually require)

It's a very, very short jump from "the law requires you to call this API to know a users age" to "the law requires you to call this API to backdoor the rng"

The precedent of the former makes me very uneasy.

I cannot in good conscious support software on any platform subject to a jurisdiction that mandates such calls.

(I also think making the existence of parental controls settings on an OS as mandatory is also a little iffy, but in a less catastrophic way)

Where I think this will end up:

Most commercial providers has been to slowly merge their mobile & desktop operating systems.

Android / ChromeOS are blending together
Mac / iOS are blending together

Both are very app store focused.

I suspect that eventually both platforms will at some point make the age bracket API call a global mandatory requirement.

Windows and Linux distros will likely trend towards a restricted mode for under-18 users, where such an API is available but not required.

@sarahjamielewis

Given than Linux is open source though, how will any age restrictions actually be enforceable post installation?

Any code can be modified to bypass or modify any restrictions 😕🤷‍♂️