Illinois Mandates OS-Level Age Checks for Kids
Illinois Just Told Every Operating System to Start Reporting Your Kid's Age
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed HB5511, the Children's Online Social Media Safety Act, requiring device makers, OS providers, and app stores to implement age verification by 2028. Apps must request age brackets via API and enforce safety defaults for minors, with fines up to $50,000 per violation. Unlike Colorado and California, Illinois' law lacks an open-source exemption, drawing criticism from the Linux community.
Well, folks, we sure are getting close to someone's wet dream of having a dystopian hellscape where people don't have control over their computers, food, or water.