Age verification on Systemd and Flatpak

Age verification on Systemd and Flatpak

Apple is rolling out age verification for iPhone and iPad in the UK. The idea is to get the device “owner” to verify their age so that they can access “certain services”. Apple has already removed encryption for UK users in 2025: Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection in the United Kingdom to new users.

What is the end game here? If it was an ISP doing this, I don’t think I would bat an eyelid, but this is a device manufacturer who just so happens to make their own operating system. Why are they now rolling out age verification? The UK law does not compel operating systems or hardware manufacturers to verify a user’s age in the same way that it requires service providers to. Why the overreach? Why the “helpfulness” from Apple? What is this really about?

Apple’s move sets the stage for others to follow. In my earlier rant about Apple, I am impatiently waiting for Android to go the same way. It will come, of that I am certain.

Is this a precursor to what Apple soon needs to do in California by 2027? Their initial move in the UK market doesn’t make any sense. I’m trying to think about this from a purely business perspective – is this their test bed for what they will soon have to do in their home town?

When the UK High Court issues a directive to block a domain, ISPs are compelled by law to block it. We have seen this before in the UK, many times. It helps to combat Internet piracy. Sure, it is like chopping off one of Hydra’s heads but it will at least put in place an inconvenience and hopefully, eventually, reduce Internet piracy.

This move by Apple, I can sort of see it in the same light. However, the key difference here is that this is a unilateral decision by Apple. In much the same way that they unilaterally opted to remove encryption for some of their iCloud data offerings. There was no High Court order; the UK law requires service providers – not operating systems – to block or unblock content. That is my understanding.

From a purely business perspective, it might be the thinking at Apple that they need to get ahead of the game. They are not entirely wrong or alone. Systemd has had a pull request which adds age verification. Flatpak is discussing the technicals around how to implement age verification.

This is all to do with that Californian law.

What I wonder about though is, from a Linux OS point of view, how would I “prove” that I’m an adult? The Systemd check seems to be configured so that only root can make changes to the data, in much the same way that the Flatpak folks are looking at. So, what does that mean? I am my own system admin... can I simply input that my one user account (that again being me) was born on 01 January 1970 and be done with it? Will my system believe me? And how about their system, whoever “they” are? If not, then what else will I need to do to prove my birth date and age? Who will check if root can’t be trusted? How will they check?

Where is all this going? Who knows? The lawmakers seem to have it all figured out. My questions have no answers. Not yet. At least, none that I could find. Non-Systemd Linux distros are laughing right now, and pointing fingers, doing that “Ha ha” of Nelson Muntz, except, they are not the bullies. They are making fun of the bullied.