Age Verification on Systemd and Flatpak

Summary

Apple is rolling out age verification for iPhone and iPad in the UK. The idea is to get the device “owner” to verify their age so that they can access “certain services”. Apple has already removed encryption for UK users in 2025: Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection in the United Kingdom to new users. What is the end game here? If it was an ISP doing this, I don’t think I would bat an eyelid, but this is a device manufacturer who just so happens to make their own operating system. Why are they now rolling out age verification? The UK law does not compel operating systems or hardware manufacturers to verify a user’s age in the same way that it requires service providers to. Why the overreach? Why the “helpfulness” from Apple? What is this really about? Apple’s move sets the stage for others to follow. In my earlier rant about Apple, I am impatiently waiting for Android to go the same way. It will come, of that I am certain. Is this a precursor to what Apple soon needs to do in California by 2027? Their initial move in the UK market doesn’t make any sense. I’m trying to think about this from a purely business perspective – is this their test bed for what they will soon have to do in their home town? When the UK High Court issues a directive to block a domain, ISPs are compelled by law to block it. We have seen this before in the UK, many times. It helps to combat Internet piracy. Sure, it is like chopping off one of Hydra’s heads but it will at least put in place an inconvenience and hopefully, eventually, reduce Internet piracy. This move by Apple, I can sort of see it in the same light. However, the key difference here is that this is a unilateral decision by Apple. In much the same way that they unilaterally opted to remove encryption for some of their iCloud data offerings. There was no High Court order; the UK law requires service providers – not operating systems – to block or unblock content. That is my understanding. From a purely business perspe...