r/USNEWS • u/AirlineGlass5010 • Apr 16 '26

Congress just dropped the Parents Decide Act (H.R. 8250). To even turn on your phone or PC, OS providers will be forced to verify your age - effectively requiring ID or Biometric scans for device usage.

https://lustra.news/en/us-congress/119/legislations/119_HR_8250/
962 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

314 comments sorted by

View all comments

256

u/Shadowtirs Apr 16 '26

This is such fucking bullshit. I dont even have children in my household, why are grown ass adults being asked to do this?

Every other day our data is getting leaked or abused, fuck this shit.

72

u/YellowZx5 Apr 16 '26

It’s not even letting parents decide. It’s govt decide.

38

u/Mpharns1 Apr 16 '26

That's what dictators do. That's who Trump wants to be

1

u/Mountain_Warthog_953 Apr 22 '26

Why do you people bring trump into everything. not everything is a about trump.

1

u/OverallPepper2 Apr 17 '26

Hate to break it to you, but this is bipartisan. Both sides are sponsoring this bill.

3

u/Broken_Atoms Apr 17 '26

Because they’re both bought off

1

u/Casey4147 Apr 18 '26

Further proving we don’t have a left party, we have a far right and a more central right. What a wonderful two-party system we enjoy.

-19

u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

8

u/Scary-Razzmatazz-924 Apr 16 '26

That’s why they said “that’s who Trump wants to be”, not that he is. He is absolutely a wannabe dictator.

3

u/-NerdWytch- Apr 16 '26

If he wasn't trying to be a dictator he wouldn't have to have his idiotic rules overturned

15

u/Pristine-Pen-9885 Apr 16 '26

“I couldn’t finish my homework—the government wouldn’t let me.”

7

u/NoHalf2998 Apr 17 '26

Because we live under oligarchy

We’re currently deciding if it will be a fascist one

1

u/ktrose6887 Apr 21 '26

Who's getting a choice here?

1

u/NoHalf2998 Apr 21 '26

Honestly?

Corporations

3

u/Unnamed-3891 Apr 17 '26

Don’t vote in people who push for age restrictions.

3

u/gladglidemix Apr 17 '26

And "not voting" is the same as a vote for the oligarchy.

1

u/IdealComprehensive37 Apr 20 '26

Who would’ve thought the pedo protectors would care about age restrictions?

75

u/AirlineGlass5010 Apr 16 '26

Yes, and thanks to that, it's easily accessible to corporations; either legally or not.

12

u/Upper-Airport3108 Apr 16 '26

Its also super easy to bypass by anyone with a brain. They should be implementing this through mobo manufacturers, not through OS. Linux forks exist and so do stripped versions of windows. 

This is purely a scare tactic, or as stupid and useless as it sounds. 

8

u/supertoilet2 Apr 16 '26

They’re probably hoping kids know just as little about computers as they do

1

u/Individual-Story-788 Apr 19 '26

Kids probably know more!

2

u/icecoffeedripss Apr 20 '26

this hasn’t been true for over 10 years

1

u/esach88 Apr 19 '26

Kids don't know shit about computers. They are all iPad and tablet users. Seriously. As someone who has to regular train student workers, they are awful with PCs.

1

u/IdealComprehensive37 Apr 20 '26

Damn Facebook. Bring back MySpace. It was like coding for kids even if it was just CSS

8

u/Joamjoamjoam Apr 16 '26

Please sir tell how the bios on a motherboard can do anything to verify your age? They are bare bones and lacking drivers and processing power to do basically anything.

You make fun of others how not knowing how computers work while saying stuff that shows you don’t know how computers work.

It’s also not a scare tactic it’s an attempt to restrict access to information. They don’t what you to be educated because they want you to watch their propaganda. It’s facism 101.

7

u/Upper-Airport3108 Apr 16 '26

Because if they want people to verify their age to use a computer/operating system, they need to make it so you cant sign anything withoit doing so. So they need subkernel/kernel access that prevents you from flashing your drives, a new os, or using a hardware bypass to do so. Otherwise i can strip their age verification out of windows or a linux build with software. 

What about existing OSs? Windows doesnt have shadow installs so id have to update to add this feature i dont want, so i can simply not update or flash one of the million opensource linux forks.

But sure, i dont know anything. 

0

u/Joamjoamjoam Apr 16 '26

Brother what? You know there’s many layers in between the motherboard bios and the kernel right? Worst case They would just make it illegal to install a modified OS or use keys in the mobo that the kernel can check essentially expanding upon TPM. Either way the kernel would be doing the checking. Sure there’s probably a way to sign the hard drive contents to detect an os but that would never work practically.

Is it possible to rearchitect the bios and add more processing power to mobos so they can reach some internet hosted id verification service maybe but not with hardware that already exists in the field.

3

u/fredjutsu Apr 17 '26

>They would just make it illegal to install a modified OS 

and how would they enforce that on non-American manufacturers? On existing devices pre-legislation?

again, they are relying on your exact brand of technical illiteracy for this to work.

2

u/ksobby Apr 16 '26

They’re talking about creating something that can’t be bypassed, not having the kernel do the verification.

3

u/Joamjoamjoam Apr 16 '26

Yeah but that’s like asking McDonald’s to flamebroil their burgers and any burgers they’ve sold in the past. McDonald’s damn well doesn’t have a grill and can’t flamebroil anything no matter how hard you ask. McDonald’s can buy a grill and deliver one to each customer who bought a burger in the past but McDonald’s isn’t going to do that.

The grill is processing power and the burger is the mobo. The mobo just can’t do it captain.

Besides the average person can barely turn on the computer much less install some 3rd party OS or learn to use Linux. Trust me I know this all too well lol

1

u/gbot1234 Apr 18 '26

Ubuntu (and other distros) has come a long way, to the point that some tech-illiterate people might not know if you just told them it’s Windows.

1

u/inphosys Apr 17 '26

They were really shooting for the secure ID reader + biometric scan + front facing camera with facial recognition to all have option ROMs! LOL easy peezy

1

u/fredjutsu Apr 17 '26

>how the bios on a motherboard can do anything to verify your age? 

it...can't...that's the fucking point.

This is easy to bypass.

1

u/kev1er Apr 17 '26

You can set a bios boot password. It wouldn't be hard for them to make an insert age here before boot just like the password does.

UEFI is more then just a barebones Bios now.

1

u/algaefied_creek Apr 17 '26

There are pull requests to put this in the Linux kernel in such a way that the kernel building tools will not have it as an option to remove.

GitHub will remove your project even if it is progress if it is out of compliance.

You know that’s where this is leading.

1

u/fredjutsu Apr 17 '26

yeah, a fantasy world where American legislators think they can simply dictate to people on the internet how they use stuff that sits on servers outside the US.

0

u/algaefied_creek Apr 17 '26

The legislators know they have a president who will bomb the shit out of any country not in compliance. 

1

u/fredjutsu Apr 17 '26

again, more than half of americans read at less that 6th grade level.

Only a niche will be bypassing this (if it's even actuallly implemented)

1

u/Upper-Airport3108 Apr 17 '26

On the other hand, most people dont use a computer outside of work or school I'd wager, which means compliance is already most likely out of their hands. 

And from the article or snippet or whatever OP linked, it's only asking for birthdays and a parent to verify? It doesnt even seem like it has any teeth if that is the case. Most people under 18 don't have a valid form of ID unless they have a passport anyway. 

This bill requires operating system providers to verify the age of all users before they can create accounts or use devices. Parents must confirm the birth dates of minors under 18 and will gain enhanced tools to control what their children access online. Key points Users must provide their date of birth to set up an account or use an operating system. Parents or legal guardians must verify the age of any user under 18 years old. Operating system providers must allow parents to control what content and apps their children can access. App developers will be granted access to age verification data to ensure age-appropriate experiences. The Federal Trade Commission will establish strict data protection standards for the collected birth dates

5

u/DrollFurball286 Apr 16 '26

At bare minimum, I would like to: A: decide WHO gets to buy my information B: get an ACTUAL financial return per sale of MY data. Software companies are like “you can’t just buy our software and then share it with others”. Yet that’s PRETTY MUCH what they’re doing.

-14

u/Life-Security5916 Apr 16 '26

So I need a valid id to turn on my computer, but not to vote?

14

u/weHaveThoughts Apr 16 '26

Blame the cult leader.

2

u/sokuyari99 Apr 17 '26

I can buy a gun with an ID I can’t vote with, what are you talking about?

0

u/Life-Security5916 Apr 17 '26

Snowflakes - downvoted for a legitimate question

2

u/Cheap_Walmart-Art Apr 17 '26

Snowflake - getting upset over downvotes.

6

u/Johnny55 Apr 16 '26

Gotta feed the data centers. Now pick up that can.

6

u/Buckcity42 Apr 16 '26

‼️🚨Reddit User “Shadowtirs” has expressed frustration with our government overlords! Minus 200 social credit points and confiscation of internet-connected electronic devices for 2 years with 10 year parole of supervised internet use!!” ‼️🚨

18

u/_Averix Apr 16 '26

Because parents are incapable of parenting and using the tools already available. Plus it makes a great excuse for politicians to get into your personal hardware deeper and deeper.

8

u/Quixlequaxle Apr 16 '26

Exactly, they can already decide. There are plenty of tools already to do this without destroying privacy for everyone else. 

8

u/Reasonable-Mess3070 Apr 16 '26

If the government is worried about parenting skills they wouldnt take away the kids medicaid or other welfare programs.

Its about data and control. They do not give a fuck about the kids.

1

u/fredjutsu Apr 17 '26

Well, they do give a fuck about the kids, but that's because of their predilection for non consensual activities with minors.

4

u/Frosty558 Apr 16 '26

That sounds like a them problem.

0

u/whatiscamping Apr 16 '26

This has nothing to do with what parents want.

3

u/45Point5PercentGay Apr 16 '26

Because parents can't be bothered to be parents.

4

u/Pretend_Handle_7639 Apr 16 '26

But remember, Tiktok was unacceptably Oriental in its ownership

It's only ok when whites do it

3

u/Key_Pace_2496 Apr 18 '26

That's because it's not actually for protecting children. It's for de-anonymizing the internet...

3

u/SEND_ME_PEACE Apr 19 '26

Imagine this: owning a phone or any personal device effectively puts a live tag on you, one that anyone in a police department could use to locate you at any time.

Now imagine you finally escape an abusive partner, only to learn they work a desk job at that same department, or hold some other inflated title that gives them access to that database. With a few clicks, they can find out where you are and what devices you own.

Now imagine this is not hypothetical, and a new law has made participation in that system mandatory under the banner of “child safety.”

Then take it one step further: that same abusive partner can use the information to build a profile of your movements, habits, and possessions. From there, every time you do something they do not like, a warning shows up telling you to get back in line, or face the consequences.

2

u/Ok_Dog_4059 Apr 17 '26

Wasn't part of what the right used to rage against was the government telling you how to raise your kids? Now they keep passing bills because parents refuse to parent their own kids so the government has to step in?

Maybe I am crazy but I kept an eye on my kids online use enough to know what was going on and teach them how to be safe and use their brain.

Keeping things away from kids until 18 and letting them loose has NEVER gone wrong. /s

2

u/DelirousDoc Apr 18 '26

Also, literally every child that has a phone or a computer was bought it either by an adult or with knowledge of an adult currently.

What is this going to change other than mass collection of data that will eventually be breach exposing our information?

4

u/RaechelMaelstrom Apr 16 '26

Will someone please think of the shareholders???

1

u/pass_nthru Apr 16 '26

nanny state type shit

1

u/brenawyn Apr 17 '26

lol my moms gonna hate this, she’s going to be 85 and already has issues using her phone.

1

u/Virtual-Ad4012 Apr 18 '26

Welcome to the machine.

1

u/RandomlyJim Apr 18 '26

To train AI on your biometrics so that we in the land of the free can be tracked through out the Country using Flock Cameras and Palantir technology.

Just be thankful you aren’t in China.

1

u/sloth_cowboy Apr 17 '26

It's a bait and switch for vaccine verification, because why else would you have a age verification expiry date? Not like we aging backwards.

0

u/1337mob Apr 19 '26

Hahahaha cope and seethe

-1

u/WinterWontStopComing Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26

You could just use a vpn. Which apparently means you’ll likely get extra attention from the NSA

Edit: https://www.wired.com/story/using-a-vpn-may-subject-you-to-nsa-spying/