A federal bill introduced this week would require every U.S. operating system to verify user ages and transmit that data to apps through real-time application programming interfaces (APIs), extending age-gating into the core software layer of American devices.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5) introduced H.R. 8250, the Parents Decide Act, on April 13, referring it to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
A new bill called the Parents Decide Act was introduced this week.
The bill would require operating system companies such as Apple and Google to verify users’ real age when they first set up a phone, tablet, or computer in the US.
This “would” stop children from lying about… pic.twitter.com/Ak0nFeSwsI
— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) April 15, 2026
The legislation follows California’s Digital Age Assurance Act, AB 1043, effective January 2027, which requires operating systems to collect age data at device setup and pass age-bracket signals to apps. Colorado’s SB26-051 cleared the state Senate with nearly identical language.
Those laws have already pushed open-source developers into compliance territory they cannot navigate. Developer Dylan Taylor merged a “birthDate” field into systemd, the init software running most Linux-based systems, via a GitHub pull request citing AB 1043 and Colorado’s bill.
The change drew 945 comments, death threats, and a privacy fork before maintainers merged it on March 18.
GrapheneOS, a privacy-hardened Android variant, refused, posting on X that it “will remain usable by anyone around the world without requiring personal data collection.”
GrapheneOS will remain usable by anyone around the world without requiring personal information, identification or an account. GrapheneOS and our services will remain available internationally. If GrapheneOS devices can’t be sold in a region due to their regulations, so be it.
— GrapheneOS (@GrapheneOS) March 20, 2026
On February 25, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it would not pursue enforcement under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) against operators collecting data solely for age verification. “Age verification technologies are some of the most child-protective technologies to emerge in decades,” said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
FTC issues COPPA policy statement to incentivize the use of age verification technologies to protect children online: https://t.co/dHEycROeEK /1
— FTC (@FTC) February 25, 2026
Privacy advocates disagree. “Every single time an age authentication mandate goes into effect, the internet shrinks some,” said Eric Goldman, a Santa Clara University professor of internet law.
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) deputy legal director Aaron Mackey warned the mandates “fundamentally undermine your ability under the First Amendment to engage in anonymous speech online.”
What creepy nonsense are companies up to when they try to guess your age or take your ID for age verification? https://t.co/izVpAORLHD
— EFF (@EFF) April 3, 2026
As of publication, H.R. 8250 has not advanced beyond its initial committee referral.
