California now requires every operating system to implement age verification by law.

An open-source calculator firmware just geo-blocked the entire state rather than comply.

The law (AB-1043) assumes all operating systems work like iOS with centralized accounts. It doesn't account for Linux, embedded systems, open-source firmware, or the millions of devices that simply can't implement ID checks.

We covered Apple baking age verification into iPhones for the UK last week. Now it's coming to America, and the scope is far broader than social media.

This isn't about protecting children. It's about building the infrastructure for universal digital ID at the operating system level. Once the pipes exist, the use cases expand. They always do.

A scientific calculator shouldn't need to know how old you are.
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