Has anyone seen this bill?!

I hear in addtional to California, other states are adopting similar bills.

Seems like the defined OS in the bill doesn't consider the general purpose nature of general purpose computers.

My C64 is going to have problems specially when I receive a firmware update on my 1541-UII :(

Any thoughts on this.

Do you think this equates to a form of user abuse?

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Re: CA bill No. 1043 age verification
By: bbsing to All on Sun Mar 08 2026 10:42 pm

Has anyone seen this bill?!

I hear in addtional to California, other states are adopting similar
bills.

Seems like the defined OS in the bill doesn't consider the general
purpose nature of general purpose computers.

My C64 is going to have problems specially when I receive a firmware
update on my 1541-UII :(

Any thoughts on this.

i think you're safe.
it's something real stupid and i'm not surprised. california is the retard capital of the usa now. you dont even have to prove your age.

If they want to protect children lockup pedophiles for life.


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Re: CA bill No. 1043 age verification
By: MRO to bbsing on Tue Mar 10 2026 02:17:09

Hi MRO,

Re: CA bill No. 1043 age verification

I hear in addtional to California, other states are adopting similar bills.

i think you're safe.
it's something real stupid and i'm not surprised. california is the retard capital of the usa now. you dont even have to prove your age.

If they want to protect children lockup pedophiles for life.

I have heard some OS distributions Anarchy linux, also thinks the bill is stupid.

Midnight BSD, is just updating their license info to exclude states and countries adopting such bills/laws.

system76 is thinking, same as many others.

I was really hoping they would just say go to hell with such laws, and exercise basic civil dispobedence. That concept has proven effective in the past.

I haven't heard much from OS users also to be effected by such a bill.

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In Brazil, the newly enacted FELCA Law requires Operating
Systems—including Linux, Windows, and certain BSD distributions, to implement regional blocking for ISO image downloads within the country. However, the law remains ambiguous; while it mandates restrictions for
OS usage, it fails to specify the required methods for age verification, creating a significant legal 'gray area'.


Thanks

Mauro
BBS Telesc.net.br


Em 09/03/2026 02:42, bbsing (VERT/LUNAROUT) escreveu:

Has anyone seen this bill?!

I hear in addtional to California, other states are adopting similar bills.

Seems like the defined OS in the bill doesn't consider the general
purpose nature of general purpose computers.

My C64 is going to have problems specially when I receive a firmware
update on my 1541-UII :(

Any thoughts on this.

Do you think this equates to a form of user abuse?

---
� Synchronet � Lunar Outpost BBS

---
ï¿­ Synchronet ï¿­ bbs.Telesc.net.br - The Brazilian Retro BBS ;)

Re: Re: CA bill No. 1043 age verification
By: Mauro to bbsing on Wed Mar 11 2026 08:56 pm

In Brazil, the newly enacted FELCA Law requires Operating Systems—including Linux, Windows, and certain BSD distributions, to implement regional blocking for ISO image downloads within the country. However, the law remains ambiguous; while it mandates restrictions for OS usage, it fails to specify the required methods for age verification, creating a significant legal 'gray area'.

The Brazilian government wants to block ISO downloads in certain regions? Why?

Nightfox

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bbsing wrote to MRO <=-

Midnight BSD, is just updating their license info to exclude states and countries adopting such bills/laws.

system76 is thinking, same as many others.

System76 has a bigger problem.
1. They have an OS offering.
2. They are based in Colorado.

So the Colorado law would impact them heavily.

They can fight it - which costs money.
They can move to another state - which costs money.
They can accomodate the bill - which costs money - and still leaves them open to lawsuits.

I was really hoping they would just say go to hell with such laws, and exercise basic civil dispobedence. That concept has proven effective in the past.

The fines are "company out of business" level fines. So civil disobedience won't work with the gov't's deep pockets.

I haven't heard much from OS users also to be effected by such a bill.

OS users aren't impacted as much.

For us, we'd just buy a PC from System76, wipe it (or get it clean) and load on what we want. Like Midnight BSD.

... It's tagline poker. Can you beat EIGHT aces...?
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Nightfox wrote to Mauro <=-

The Brazilian government wants to block ISO downloads in certain
regions? Why?

So their citizens don't load on an OS that is unapproved (i.e. unsubverted) by the gov't.


... "DOS=HIGH" Hmm, I knew it was on something...
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Re: Re: CA bill No. 1043 age
By: Dr. What to Nightfox on Thu Mar 12 2026 07:56 am

So their citizens don't load on an OS that is unapproved (i.e. unsubverted) by the gov't.

meh.. Also, there's more than just OSes in ISOs - Sometimes there are tools available as ISOs because you may need to boot from separate media to run them, such as backup media (i.e. CloneZilla) or partition editing tools (such as GParted).

Nightfox

---
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In Brazil, because its impossible use verification age in BSD and Linux,
the maintainers can block downloads from Brazil.

Mauro - Sysop
BBS Telesc.net.br


Em 12/03/2026 08:56, Dr. What (VERT/THEGATEB) escreveu:

Nightfox wrote to Mauro <=-

The Brazilian government wants to block ISO downloads in certain regions?  Why?

So their citizens don't load on an OS that is unapproved (i.e.
unsubverted) by
the gov't.

... "DOS=HIGH" Hmm, I knew it was on something...
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
þ Synchronet þ ** The Gate BBS - Shelby, NC - thegateb.synchro.net **

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Re: Re: CA bill No. 1043 age
By: Mauro to Dr. What on Thu Mar 12 2026 11:58 am

In Brazil, because its impossible use verification age in BSD and Linux, the maintainers can block downloads from Brazil.

Can that really stop people from downloading the ISOs though? I imagine someone might be able to get around those blocks by using a VPN, for instance. Someone might also be able to buy a PC or laptop from another country with Linux or BSD on it and import it (though I know taxes and import fees for such things in Brazil can be quite expensive).

Blocking ISO downloads is something I'd expect from a country like China, but I wouldn't have expected to hear Brazil doing this..

Nightfox

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Nightfox wrote to Dr. What <=-

So their citizens don't load on an OS that is unapproved (i.e. unsubverted) by the gov't.

meh.. Also, there's more than just OSes in ISOs -

But remember that we are dealing with gov't officials who are not the bright bulbs on the Christmas tree.


... What part of "NO" didn't you understand...?
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
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Nightfox wrote to Mauro <=-

Can that really stop people from downloading the ISOs though? I
imagine someone might be able to get around those blocks by using a
VPN, for instance.

Countries like this block VPN usage too.

Blocking ISO downloads is something I'd expect from a country like
China, but I wouldn't have expected to hear Brazil doing this..

You've obviously never seen a picture of their Fearless Leader. I swear that he looks like the villian right out of an old movie.


... I'm not a complete idiot - several parts are missing.
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
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Mauro wrote to Dr. What <=-

In Brazil, because its impossible use verification age in BSD and
Linux, the maintainers can block downloads from Brazil.

Since the maintainers aren't in Brazil, they can tell the Brazillian gov't to go F themselves.

Better yet, have the maintainers move to Wyoming, U.S.A. where they now have a law on the books that would allow the maintainers to counter sue in Wyoming and have Wyoming seize Brazillian assets in the U.S. to pay the judgement.


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