Am I the only one worried about the future of #Linux on the desktop?

[hambier@mastodon.opencloud.lu]

Am I the only one worried about the future of #Linux on the desktop?

Recently there's been an ever faster evolution of tech regulation with no end in sight. Unfortunately lawmakers only know about locked down corporate/consumer platforms like iOS, Android, Windows. Isn't it only a matter of time until they legislate unlocked bootloaders and user-customizable OSs out of existence? All in the name of child protection (age verif.) or national security (chat control) or some other fad.

[hambier@mastodon.opencloud.lu]

"Ooh, look, I'm running an illegal underground OS" might sound funny at first. But given all the enforcement by banking apps (Play Integrity & co.) and even streaming services (DRM)) that are already plaguing us now, I fear that we might get way more of this.

Just imagine a future similar to what we have now with cookies: (almost) every site operator trying to be legally safe by checking (somehow...) that the OS is unmodified and signed just to make sure their age check is compliant enough...