https://media.fsfe.org/videos/watch/273165fd-db0a-43e0-9d97-b686ec8f74d8 Original video available here: https://techlore.tv/w/9aTREpsS3oWHGbtbZCX15Y Age verification laws are spreading fast, but most coverage is either panic or dismissal, with very little clarity on what these laws say, who they apply to, or what they mean for Free Software. In this episode of Techlore Talks, Henry sits down with Jithendra Palepu, who has a legal background and Free Software Foundation Europe volunteer, to actually make sense of it. Age verification, age estimation, age gating, and self-declaration, why the difference matters enormously, and more. We examine what California's AB 1628 actually requires, we discuss why MidnightBSD's decision to ban California users may have backfired against the very principles it was trying to protect, and so much more. If you've had strong reactions to these laws but struggled to fully back them up, this one's for you. Note: Sorry about the video issues, our recording tool had a lot of problems, but audio is still solid 🙏 🔗 SOURCES & LINKS • Free Software Foundation Europe: https://fsfe.org • FSFE — Youth Hacking for Freedom: https://fsfe.org/activities/yh4f/ • Software Freedom Conservancy: https://sfconservancy.org • Keep Android Open: https://keepandroidopen.org/ • Read our breakdown: https://techlore.tech/age-verification-laws-and-free-software-fsfe-interview-techlore-talks/ 🧡 SUPPORT TECHLORE • Become a Techlorian: https://techlore.tech/support/#/portal/signup • All Support Methods: https://techlore.tech/support/ 🔐 MORE FROM TECHLORE • Homepage & Newsletter: https://techlore.tech • Our Course, Go Incognito: https://techlore.tech/go-incognito-course/ • Privacy Tools: https://privacytools.techlore.tech/ • VPN Comparison Chart: https://vpn.techlore.tech/ ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 INTRO 02:43 DEFINING AGE VERIFICATION 05:15 THE REAL CONCERN 09:59 SELF-DECLARATION 13:14 SERVICE VS. OS AGE VERIFICATION 19:34 RESPONSIBILITY 23:23 MIDNIGHTBSD & SYSTEMD 25:27 LINUX CARVE-OUTS? 27:54 SHARED & SECONDHAND DEVICES? 29:42 APPLE + DMA 32:59 WHAT'S THE OVERALL NARRATIVE? 37:57 JITHENDRA'S & FSFE'S CONCERNS 42:21 DO ANY LAWS GET THIS RIGHT? 44:33 WHO IS DOING THE VERIFICATION? 45:03 DATA LEAK RESPONSIBILITY 46:37 OS-LEVEL AGE VERIFICATION IN EU 48:04 YOUNG DEVELOPERS 49:14 ENFORCEABILITY 50:54 ACTIONABLE ADVICE 52:42 HOW TO FACILITATE DISCUSSIONS 54:37 HOW TO FOLLOW #AgeVerification #FreeSoftware Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:35:21 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://media.fsfe.org https://media.fsfe.org/lazy-static/avatars/d73e20cc-69d9-4bb8-a8ff-b30a3cc6ca78.jpg https://media.fsfe.org/videos/watch/273165fd-db0a-43e0-9d97-b686ec8f74d8 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://media.fsfe.org/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.