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The Engineer Who Tried to Put Age Verification Into Linux
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this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2026
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I have read the git thread related to the merge request.
I don't see what's the big deal. You have a user model that already contain fields like user's full name, location, ... among others and all this developer did was adding yet another optional field called date of birth.
This does nothing to verify user's age and enforce nothing. They've stressed that repeatedly in the comments.
What that does is making it easy for a Linux distro to store user's birthday - should they wish to do so - and making that bit of info accessible to running apps so that each app can do what it wants with it.
User's fullname and location are already there which are also optional so what's the big deal?
Exactly. There's a massive thread on Mastodon where everybody is panicking about this, but it's a nothing burger if ever there was one.
Sure, the timing and comments suggest it's meant for legal compliance, but if that's what it does, it does it by keeping full control in the hands of the user, where it should be.
If anyone is panicking, ask them how they feel about the 'RealName' field that has been in systemd for years (since the beginning?)
This is fake controversy and now it's at the point where people are spreading articles, like the OP, brigading people into harassing a systemd developer.
Ask yourself if "RealName" field was added in response of a requirement that's supposed to assist with a bullshit law backed by a mega evil corp?
No?
Then how's it comparable?
Because they're both optional fields that have absolutely no checks on them where you're free to enter any information or none at all.
In this hypothetical threat that you're worrying about, there is no world where birthDate gives an 'evil corporation' more data about you than your REAL NAME and LOCATION.
Those fields have been in systemd since the beginning, have you noticed any problems related to using your Real Name and Location in your user profile... or do you simply not enter that data?