Posted on 04/18/2026 5:23:57 AM PDT by DoodleBob
A bipartisan House bill introduced this week, HR 8250, would require operating system providers to verify the age of every user who sets up an account or uses an operating system, shifting age-checking obligations away from individual apps and onto platform owners such as mobile and computer operating system companies.
The Parents Decide Act was introduced by Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Rep. Elise Stefanik.
“With each passing day, the Internet is becoming more and more treacherous for our kids,” Gottheimer said. “We’re not just talking about social media anymore — we’re talking about artificial intelligence and platforms that are shaping how our kids think, feel, and act, often without any real guardrails.”
“Right now, we expect children to self-police their safety online,” Gottheimer continued. “That’s not realistic – and it’s not responsible. Parents should decide what apps their kids can download, what content they can see, and how they interact online – not algorithms or tech companies.”
The bill would require users to provide their date of birth to create an account and use an operating system. If the user is under 18, a parent or legal guardian would have to verify the minor’s age.
Companies would be required to create a system through which app developers can access the information necessary to verify a user’s age, shifting age-verification infrastructure to the operating-system level.
“This approach creates a trusted, consistent standard across platforms,” Gottheimer said. “The phone – the operating system that controls it – will tell the apps and the AI platforms the limits you set for your kid. It gives parents real control, not buried deep in some settings menu, but right in front of them, where it should be.”
Gottheimer said the legislation works alongside broader bipartisan efforts to improve online safety, including Sammy’s Law, the Kids Online Safety Act, and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act.
The bill also would direct operating system providers to build a system allowing app developers to access information needed to verify a user’s age, subject to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules on privacy and data protection.
Enforcement would fall to the FTC, which would be required to issue regulations within 180 days of enactment for shared devices, parent verification, and data protection standards to ensure birth-date information is collected securely and not breached.
The FTC would be required to brief Congress on its rulemaking process, and within 18 months it would have to submit a report on how providers are complying with the new law and whether Congress should update the requirements.
The bill also provides a safe harbor for compliant providers, which might not be held liable under the act if they followed the statute’s requirements and FTC rules. The law would take effect one year after enactment.
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This isn’t just a loophole; it’s a failure to protect our children. So, the question is, what can we do about it?
We need to fix the system at its roots. That’s why I’m pushing for a commonsense solution that puts parents in control.
When they say ‘common sense’ and invoke children, you know they’re coming after your life, liberty, and/or property.
I’m very disappointed in Rep. Stefanik.
I, for one, welcome our new digital overlords! /S
Linux is open source. Anyone can modify it, and recompile it. There are already instructions on how to remove the age check from the code.
Gubmint creates the problem
Fear!
Gubmint crafts a solution the requires diminishing yur freedom.
How about taking away your childs device, give em some chores or tell them to go outside and play sportsball or build a treehouse
Oh, cmon…it’s for the KIDZ!…right?
State surveillance of citizens is growing all over the world, but it is a fact of everyday life in China, where it has deep historical roots.
In China, almost nothing is paid for in cash anymore. Super apps make life easy: people use Alipay or WeChat Pay to pay for subway or bus tickets, rent a bike, hail a taxi, shop online, book trains and shows, split the bill at restaurants and even pay their taxes and utility bills.
The Chinese also use these platforms to check the news, entertain themselves and exchange countless text, audio and video messages, both personal and professional. Everything is linked to the user’s mobile phone number, which is itself registered under their identity. The government may access the data collected by Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Xiaomi and other operators.
You’ve got it. This ain’t about the kids.
Another fascist bill “for the children.”
I’m still using Windows 10, which Microsoft no longer officially supports.
What about all us old farts with no children anywhere near our computers ? It should be targeted at careless PARENTS
Another fascist bill “for the children.”
Just wait until the crazy Politicians that have no clue about computers , operating systems and the internet require picture ids before you start
I will argue the total effort is without merit, pitiful actually.
The kids will prevail.
The object of prevailing will become a challenge for perhaps thousands of smart and brilliant kids who will work tirelessly in private and in concert to overcome the obstacle.
Such kids are in the process of totally destroying Iran
Literally everything about the Linux OS has been MARKET DRIVEN. NEVER LEGISLATED.
Software has been ruled as “free speech”...how is this not “compelled speech” then?
I’d be far more in favor of legislating “all hard core porn must be on .xxx domain names” as parents can easily block it. I’ve heard the “that won’t solve all the problem” argument but I reject it, it’d enable responsible parents to have a “good” tool that could block 95% of casual access by kids - NO DIFFERENTLY than laws that used to require “xxx videos in an ‘18 and older’ section” in the video store or x-rated magazines being on the top shelf. Of course there will still be kids that find a way, but sometimes just keeping the honest kids honest is the best you can try for.
I don’t want government touching anything that should be driven by innovation. It’s not even enforceable...how long until a version of Linux is built without the ‘feature’ in it? A bootable thumb drive all the kids copy...this is a futile exercise when we all know this ISN’T about “the children”. It’s a first step toward control, the path to digital ID. Next it will be “verify your age”, provide all your credentials.
They don’t want anonymous free speech online. THAT is what the problem is...and it’s coming from Europe.
Kids don’t have any business on the internet. They can go to libraries to look things up like we did.
“Linux is open source. Anyone can modify it, and recompile it. There are already instructions on how to remove the age check from the code.”
I wonder if they will mandate the ISP to check for the Age verification when you connect to the internet.
BS
Libraries are nearing obsolescence.
GROK will tell you in seconds what you might never actually learn in days or weeks in a library
We all are.
A bill in one of the states wants Fridges , Toasters etc etc etc to have age verification , a bill by Idiots that know nothing ,LOL
They need to add a further test, “are you or do you want to become a politician?” That solves that problem…..
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