Carl Richell

Today, I met with Colorado Senator Matt Ball, co-author of Colorado OS Age Attestation Bill SB26-051.

Sen. Ball suggested excluding open source software from the bill. This appears to be a real possibility.

Amendments are expected for the CA age attestation bill. It's my hope we can move fast enough to influence excluding open source in the CA bill amendments.

No illusions, it's an uphill battle, but we have an open door to advocate for the open source community.

Mar 9 at 9:51pmWeb
Show threadcmdlnMar 9
@carlrichell Thank you for working on this!
Show threadChipMar 9
@carlrichell Thanks for meeting with them. I've sent an email to my Co senator. Keep sharing and if there are other things we can do to help let us all know!
Show threadMatt (It's really me) HartleyMar 9
@carlrichell Thank you and reshared with a reminder we must proactively call our representatives.
Show threadZero101Mar 9
@carlrichell Reasonable solution and good to hear!
Show threadErtainMar 9
@carlrichell Thank you for doing this.
Show threadBryan HaskinMar 9

@carlrichell I think this is a start at least. The issue is what counts as open source? The real fix is to make parents be parents. They need to be held responsible for what their children do. It's crazy that it's not part of the conversation at all.

We would charge parents with negligence and neglect if they were to leave their kids alone in a bad neighborhood. That is essentially what happens when you give them an Internet enabled device.

We are making corporations arbiters of behavior and actions instead of individuals.

Show threadNegative KelvinMar 10

@bhhaskin @carlrichell I think the EU has a software liability approach that could be used as an (just one) example. If you're not making money with it, you're okay. Paraphrased poorly.

It feels like the idea is that profit motives need to come with more responsibility. Maybe that can be adapted.

Show threadDistroWatchMar 11

@bhhaskin @carlrichell These laws have nothing to do with children. That is the excuse, not the reason. The reason is tracking people and removing privacy.

Good parenting will do nothing to stop bills like this because it was never really about keeping kids safe.

Show threadEthan BlackMar 10

RE: https://fosstodon.org/@carlrichell/116201429639953387

Actually going to meet a co-author of that California bill is such a great move to make.

Show threadChris Cochrun ~ >Mar 10
@carlrichell that is awesome news! I know it isn't a clear answer, but thank you for moving the ball forward in this battle. Anywhere our voice can be heard we need to be loud enough.
Show threadShutterBuggedMar 10

@carlrichell I expect that even if you're successful, it'll only be temporary. Eventually someone will pass a law without the exception.

This may also be a token effort, to try and make an unpopular law more easy to pass.

Show threadBill ZaumenMar 10
@carlrichell An additional reason to amend these age attestation bills is that Linux runs in products that people don't think are computers - like a sound system I have - it can play internet radio, etc., and has a processor inside running Linux, which saves the manufacturer whatever some other company would charge for an embedded OS.
Show threadOSTechNixMar 10
@carlrichell Thank you.
Show threadMiss Rari 🏳️‍⚧️Mar 10

@carlrichell Hopefully the exclusion will include the UEFI too even though most are closed source (I know accounts aren't made in the UEFI but they can be password protected).

Edit: these laws just shouldn't exist in general, no matter what exclusions exist.

Show threadubuntu UKMar 10
@carlrichell If we can help from over here of course we will.
Show threadJonathan CorbetMar 10
@carlrichell Nice work! I've been bugging my own reps, but haven't even gotten a response from them so far.
Show thread🇨🇦 Dianne SMar 10

@carlrichell It's good news for open source if that exception is made, but still bad news in general to force devices to do age-attestation in the first place.

Then there are thorny issues like who decides what is open source? Do we really expect Apple and Google and Microsoft (likely the ones behind these bills in the first place) not to fight such an amendment tooth and nail?

Show threadTill KamppeterMar 11

@carlrichell great initiative from you! Thanks a lot!

(but such laws should really not get established in the first place)

Show threadOd-Nan Kenobi6d ago

@carlrichell #brazil Is facing a similar issue with our federal law. It goes into effect essentially this month, and we have no idea on how to even start to get to talk to someone at the federal level in order to make something like an exemption.

I'm honestly worried about the perspectives for our local #FOSS communities, currently still trying to get in touch with everyone to at least check on what are the practical implications over here, and what are the real risks

#Brasil