California's Securing the Digital Age Act, passed last year, will soon require all of them pc and mobile operating system provider to ask users for their age at account creation and then send the data to app developers. Although California's law doesn't go into effect until 2027, it will affect Windows, Mac, and Linux users across the Golden State.
California's Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043) was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2025 after unanimously passing both houses of the California State Legislature. AB 1043 would mandate that operating system providers include a real-time application programming interface (API) that categorizes users into one of four age categories. These brackets are intended for users under 13, 13 to 16, 16 to 18, and anyone over 18. The data would then be sent to any developer who requests this information from a California-based user when the app is downloaded or launched, which would then be used for content distribution purposes. AB 1043 will take effect statewide on January 1, 2027.
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The new California law will affect anything with an operating system
Although age verification measures in games like Roblox have forced users to upload a facial scan to prove their age, California's Digital Age Assurance Act will not require such controversial measures. AB 1043 will only require California users to enter their date of birth when creating an account with companies like Microsoft, Apple or Google, depending on the operating system they plan to access. The law covers everything that uses an operating system, from computers to mobile devices and game consoles. However, it does not apply to any broadband ISP or telecommunications service and does not allow developers to share user age information with a third party for purposes other than authentication.
Currently, AB 1043 would likely require operating systems to add an age verification API through a firmware update. However, Gov. Newsom said that despite the passage of AB 1043, a change will likely be necessary for multi-user accounts and streaming services. Newsom cited concerns from game developers and streaming services about user profiles and accounts being used across multiple devices. As of this writing, no changes have been proposed to AB 1043, so the law will go into effect in its current state.
Along with the snags that multi-user accounts may pose for AB 1043, the rise of Linux as an alternative to Windows presents another problem. Developers who receive this information and fail to comply with AB 1043 will face penalties ranging from $2,500 to $7,500. Additionally, several Linux distributions such as Ubuntu do not have a centralized account infrastructure in place compared to Windows and macOS. Therefore, Linux OS distributions are likely to be found non-compliant by default in California. Although a statement that the operating system is not intended for use in California under AB 1043 could be used, we'll see what the developers of the various Linux distributions do in response to the law.
Age verification is not going away
While AB 1043 will not require California users to submit anything more than their date of birth, age verification measures from other services will likely continue to be used. Although Discord was supposed to launch its global age verification on March 1, Discord delayed its controversial rollout following user backlash. Although Discord is still set to activate its age verification systems in the second half of 2026, the popular voice and text app said it is looking into other ways to verify a user's age, including credit card information, that would not require a face ID scan.
Due to AB 1043's broad scope, the bill would also affect SteamOS, which uses the Steam Deck and the upcoming Steam Machine. While Governor Newsom has proposed some amendments, time will tell what changes will be made to AB 1043 before it goes into effect.
Source: Tom's Hardware
