Summary of "California Wants To Go After Linux Now... It's Bad..."

Overview of the proposed law

California Assembly Bill 1043 (described as an “age-appropriate design code”) would require online services, products, or features likely to be accessed by children to estimate or verify users’ ages and collect birthdate/age information at account setup.
The bill explicitly targets platforms with built‑in application stores and could be interpreted to apply to operating systems (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux).

Example: KDE Discover — an OS-integrated app catalog where users can install and update software without creating an online account.
Many desktop Linux installations use only local user accounts, illustrating why age-verification mandates are practically unenforceable for many Linux setups.

Secure Boot is a firmware/bootloader signature verification mechanism: on power-up, motherboard firmware checks that the bootloader/kernel are signed with trusted keys; unsigned binaries are blocked.
Most consumer motherboards ship with Microsoft’s signing keys; Microsoft-signed shims allow many Linux distributions to boot under Secure Boot.

Microsoft signs a small shim which then verifies a distribution’s key. This shim mechanism is how many Linux distributions work with Secure Boot enabled.

Some modern software/games require TPM and Secure Boot alongside kernel-level anti-cheat (example cited: Battlefield 6), demonstrating how platform integrity requirements can be used to restrict software environments.

Hardware-level lock down: Regulators or vendors could mandate Secure Boot (or similar controls) be always enabled and restrict firmware keys so only “approved” OSes can run — limiting the ability to install alternative OSes like Linux.
Two-tier market: Consumer hardware could become locked down while enterprise or specially provisioned hardware remains flexible, creating a divide and pushing hobbyists/activists toward older hardware or black markets.
Surveillance, control, and commercial lock-in: The law could be a stepping stone toward more restrictive hardware/software ecosystems, rental/managed computing models, and reduced user freedom to sideload or self-host software.
Enforcement practicalities: Users can lie about birthdates; local accounts and systems without cloud accounts make enforcement difficult. Antitrust, free-speech, and constitutional issues may also apply.

Open firmware projects: coreboot and Libreboot are open-source firmware replacements for proprietary BIOS/UEFI that can reduce vendor firmware trust dependencies; they require vendor support and compatible hardware.
Favor hardware that supports vendor unlock or user-controlled keys if the freedom to install alternative OSes is important.
Maintain awareness of Secure Boot and firmware key policies when purchasing devices.

Public awareness and political opposition are encouraged — the bill, even if currently unenforceable in many cases, could evolve and be used to justify hardware lockdowns.
Voting and activism are urged to preserve device and software freedom.

AB 1043 could be interpreted to affect operating systems and app stores, but it’s technically hard to enforce on many Linux setups that use local accounts and unsigned installs.
The real long-term risk is hardware/firmware-level restrictions (Secure Boot key policies, locked bootloaders) that prevent installing alternative OSes.
Technical mitigations (coreboot/Libreboot, choosing open-friendly hardware) exist but require market/vendor support and consumer awareness.

Speaker: Mudahar (also referred to as “Muda”)
Legislative reference: California Assembly Bill 1043
Companies/technologies mentioned: Microsoft, Apple, Google, Secure Boot (UEFI), shim, TPM, KDE Discover (Linux app store), macOS App Store, coreboot, Libreboot
Example public figure used rhetorically: Gavin Newsom