05/31/2026
I don't like California in general, but, seeing this is a big win for those in software engineering, coding, and development. While many probably don't know how significant this is, it means that we don't have to give them any information when setting up a computer with Ubuntu or other open source systems. Because much of our usual software and technology systems are from the silicon valley in California that would affect the rest of the USA and world. Unless you allow your location, it will report your personal information to the California state department, and then you could have your computer locked, because you don't allow them to be authoritarian.
Here's the specific details. I know it is a long read but it is important to understand and now that we know open source is exempt, well, we really recommend it now.
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"California’s Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043) requires operating system providers to collect user age during device setup and transmit an encrypted age signal to app developers via a real-time API. Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2025, the law takes effect on January 1, 2027, with a grace period for existing accounts until July 1, 2027.
The law mandates that operating systems categorize users into one of four brackets: under 13, 13 to under 16, 16 to under 18, or 18 or older. Unlike laws in Texas and Utah, California’s approach relies on self-reported age without requiring government ID uploads or facial recognition, aiming to minimize privacy risks. Developers receiving these signals are deemed to have actual knowledge of the user’s age and must adjust content accordingly, facing civil penalties of up to $7,500 per child for intentional violations enforced by the California Attorney General.
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If you are interested in open source or learning more about your computer or technology devices, give us a follow. We recommend Linux Mint for first time users as a great computer Operating System.
Phone wise, there are open source solutions but they are not as readily available and are more expensive. You can only use Android based phones as iPhone locks their hardware from use by developers. GrapheneOS is the best but not too flexible.
A ready to buy, off the shelf open source phone is called Pine64 and it is built on the PineOS.
https://pine64.org/devices/pinephone/
A beautiful open source system that we hope to help port to many other models and brands of phones, is PureOS, which is fully conciergent like Ubuntu Touch.
https://pureos.net/
Lastly, we are working on porting the Doogee phone for Ubuntu touch. It takes a while with lots of code so we will update as we can.
