Shuffle News | Vol.146《加州推出适用于所有操作系统的年龄验证法案，包括 Linux 和 SteamOS —— 用户需在系统账户设置时验证年龄》
原文来源：tom's HARDWARE
原文日期：2026年3月1日
原文链接：
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/operating-systems/california-introduces-age-verification-law
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Law Signed, Effective 2027
法案签署，将于 2027 年生效
California’s Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2025, requires every operating system provider in California to collect age information from users at account setup and transmit that data to app developers via a real-time API, with the law taking effect on January 1, 2027.
美国加州《数字年龄保障法案》（AB 1043）于 2025 年 10 月由州长 Gavin Newsom 签署。法案要求在加州运营的所有操作系统提供商，在用户创建或设置账户时收集其年龄信息，并通过实时 API 将该数据传递给应用开发者。该法案将于 2027 年 1 月 1 日正式生效。
Broad Definition of “Operating System Provider”
“操作系统提供商”的广泛定义
The law’s broad definition of an “operating system provider” — anyone who “develops, licenses, or controls the operating system software on a computer, mobile device, or any other general purpose computing device” — pulls in not just Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, but Linux distributions and Valve’s SteamOS.
该法案对“操作系统提供商”的定义十分广泛——凡“开发、授权或控制计算机、移动设备或其他通用计算设备操作系统软件”的个人或实体，均在其列。因此，适用对象不仅包括 Windows、macOS、Android 和 iOS，也涵盖 Linux 各类发行版以及 Valve 的 SteamOS。
Real-Time Age Bracket API Requirement
实时年龄分级 API 要求
According to AB 1043, OS providers must maintain a “reasonably consistent real-time application programming interface” that categorizes users into four age brackets — under 13, 13 to under 16, 16 to under 18, and 18 or older — and hand that signal to any developer who requests it when their app is downloaded or launched.
根据 AB 1043，操作系统提供商必须维护一个“合理一致的实时应用程序接口”，将用户划分为四个年龄区间——13 岁以下、13 至未满 16 岁、16 至未满 18 岁以及 18 岁及以上——并在应用下载或启动时，应开发者请求向其提供相应的年龄分级信号。
Liability Shifted to Developers
法律责任转移至开发者
Developers who receive the signal are “deemed to have actual knowledge” of their users’ age range under the law, which shifts legal liability for age-appropriate content decisions onto them. Penalties for non-compliance run up to $2,500 per affected child for negligent violations and $7,500 for intentional ones, enforced by the California Attorney General.
收到该信号的开发者在法律上将被“视为已实际知晓”用户的年龄区间，从而承担与内容适龄性相关的法律责任。违规处罚最高可达每名受影响未成年人 2,500 美元（过失违规）或 7,500 美元（故意违规），由加州总检察长负责执法。
No ID Uploads or Facial Recognition
不要求身份证或人脸识别
The law does not require photo ID uploads or facial recognition, with users instead simply self-reporting their age, setting AB 1043 apart from similar laws passed in Texas and Utah that require “commercially reasonable” verification methods, such as government-issued ID checks. Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, who authored the bill, said this “avoids constitutional concerns by focusing strictly on age assurance, not content moderation,” in a press release. The bill passed both chambers unanimously, 76-0 in the Assembly and 38-0 in the Senate.”
该法律不要求上传带照片的身份证件或进行人脸识别，用户仅需自行申报年龄。这使 AB 1043 有别于德克萨斯州和犹他州通过的类似法律，后者要求采取“商业上合理”的验证方式，例如核验政府签发的身份证件。法案起草人、众议员 Buffy Wicks 在新闻稿中表示，此举“通过严格聚焦年龄保障，而非内容审核，避免了宪法方面的担忧。”该法案在州议会两院均以全票通过，众议院 76 比 0，参议院 38 比 0。
Governor Calls for Amendments
州长呼吁修订法案
Despite signing it, Newsom issued a statement urging the legislature to amend the law before its effective date, citing concerns from streaming services and game developers about “complexities such as multi-user accounts shared by a family member and user profiles utilized across multiple devices.” Whether amendments will materialize before January 2027 remains to be seen.
尽管已签署该法案，Newsom 仍发表声明，敦促立法机构在法律生效前对其进行修订。他指出，流媒体服务商和游戏开发者对“家庭成员共享的多用户账户以及跨多个设备使用的用户档案等复杂情况”表示担忧。相关修订是否能在 2027 年 1 月之前完成，仍有待观察。
Enforcement Challenges for Linux Distributions
对 Linux 发行版的执法挑战
Enforcement against Linux distributions, however, is likely to be problematic. Distros like Arch, Ubuntu, Debian, and Gentoo have no centralized account infrastructure, with users downloading ISOs from mirrors worldwide, and can modify source code freely. These small distros lack legal teams or resources to implement the required API, so a more realistic outcome for non-compliant distros is a disclaimer that the software is not intended for use in California.
然而，针对 Linux 发行版的执法可能面临实际困难。Arch、Ubuntu、Debian 和 Gentoo 等发行版并不存在集中式账户体系，用户可从全球镜像站点下载 ISO 镜像，并自由修改源代码。这类规模较小的发行版通常缺乏法律团队或相应资源来实现所要求的 API。因此，对于未能合规的发行版而言，更现实的结果可能是通过发布免责声明，声明该软件不适用于加州地区。
小编自问自答：如果用户虚报年龄，责任如何界定？
根据 AB 1043 的制度设计，一旦操作系统向应用开发者传递年龄区间信号，开发者在法律上即被“视为已实际知晓”用户的年龄范围。这意味着，只要开发者依据信号采取相应的内容分级或限制措施，原则上已履行其合规义务。至于用户虚报年龄所产生的法律后果，则可能在具体执法实践或司法解释中成为争议焦点。
