Texas is the 3rd state to require app store age verification (www.cnn.com)
from artyom@piefed.social to privacy@lemmy.ml on 16 Oct 16:54
https://piefed.social/post/1377674

Chalk another one up for Big Brother. I wonder if this will apply to/be enforced on FDroid and Obtainium?

#privacy

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Goodlucksil@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 16 Oct 17:02 next collapse

Obtainium no because it’s a github parser and I highly doubt they’ll implement it on the downloader.

F-Droid and other non-free anpp stores sure.

Accrescent may have to leave Texas, with all that privacy/security jaff.

DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 16 Oct 18:27 collapse

That works until Google will lock down the APK installer for “unverified” apps

Flocklesscrow@lemmy.zip on 16 Oct 18:15 next collapse

The “please tread on me harder” state.

PiraHxCx@lemmy.ml on 16 Oct 23:18 next collapse

owning them libs

kay4749@lemmings.world on 17 Oct 12:37 next collapse

Texas is a shithole filled with morons and con artists.

cypherpunks@lemmy.ml on 17 Oct 12:51 next collapse

The text of the new Texas law is here.

I wonder if this will apply to/be enforced on FDroid and Obtainium?

copying my comment from another thread:

“App store” means a publicly available Internet website, software application, or other electronic service that distributes software applications from the owner or developer of a software application to the user of a mobile device.

This sounds like it could apply not only to F-Droid but also to any website distributing APKs, and actually, every other software distribution sysem too (eg, linux distros…) which include software which could be run on a “mobile device” (the definition of which also can be read as including a laptop).

otoh i think they might have made a mistake and left a loophole; all of the requirements seem to depend on an age verification “under Section 121.021” and Section 121.021 says:

When an individual in this state creates an account with an app store, the owner of the app store shall use a commercially reasonable method of verification to verify the individual’s age category

I’m not a lawyer but I don’t see how this imposes any requirements on “app stores” which simply don’t have any account mechanism to begin with :)

<img alt="“Roll Safe” meme (Kayode Ewumi tapping his finger on his head), no text" src="https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/4cab9328-bf19-412c-86d6-270415a0a21e.png">

(Not to say that this isn’t still immediately super harmful for the majority of the people who get their apps from Google and Apple…)

artyom@piefed.social on 17 Oct 13:43 collapse

Thank you for researching that

abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 17 Oct 14:24 collapse

Right, so basically they’ll have a database of who has (had) what app, when, and where…

Which could include apps like Grindr (way to target the LGBT community), or like Signal (way to target Journalists, activists, and other privacy minded people). You can find out a lot about someone’s app choices and in a state like Texas, which is conservative and authoritarian, that can be used to go after certain demographics.

artyom@piefed.social on 17 Oct 14:52 next collapse

Who is “they”? Google/Apple? Yes. But that’s not really anything new. Texas? I don’t think so.

abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 21 Oct 23:09 collapse

Texas? I don’t think so

Texas regularly proposes and passes regressive and authoritarian laws all the time. How do you think they will enforce them?

artyom@piefed.social on 21 Oct 23:23 collapse

I don’t understand what that has to do with this conversation

ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 21 Oct 18:46 next collapse

Wait until they get that Grindr list and see all their buddies on it.

abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 21 Oct 23:11 collapse

hold on, lemmie get a video…

youtu.be/ApuKFG8SUx4

Batmorous@lemmy.world on 23 Oct 08:56 collapse

Texas is actually a swing state with more blue than red but gerrymandered to win

abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 23 Oct 12:28 collapse

Yeah, but the thing is that gerrymandering still has resulted in a really authoritarian republican lead state.