Open‑Source Exemption in Age Laws

A U.S. state legislature (Colorado) is considering language that would explicitly exclude open‑source software from an age‑verification law for devices and operating systems. If adopted, that carve‑out would create a regulatory precedent protecting open‑source projects from duties that commercial vendors must meet, with knock‑on effects for privacy, developer burden, and cross‑state harmonization. — Whether states exempt open‑source from age‑verification laws will shape how privacy and surveillance responsibilities are distributed across commercial vendors, volunteer projects, and downstream users nationwide.