userdb: add birthDate field to JSON user records by dylanmtaylor · Pull Request #40954 · systemd/systemd
github.com
Stores the user's birth date for age verification, as required by recent laws in California (AB-1043), Colorado (SB26-051), Brazil (Lei 15.211/2025), etc. The xdg-desktop-portal project is addi...

Fork time? Maybe all the anti-systemd zealots were right all along…

Edit: To address whether it is likely that this change will affect users: Gnome is planning a stronger dependence on userdb, the part of systemd where this change is being implemented. https://blogs.gnome.org/adrianvovk/2025/06/10/gnome-systemd-dependencies/

Final Edit: The PR has been merged into main.

  • mazzilius_marsti@lemmy.world
    4·
    4 hours ago

    I’m a noob when it comes to deep linux stuff.

    So how does this affect end users and are we at risk of leaking personal info? It looks to me they are adding a birthDate field along with other meta data. Will these metadata be sent to whatever local authorities or whatever data hoarder on the web (like Google) without user consent?

    I meant what stops me from listing false info like: Name: Biggus Dickus DOB: 06/09/1969 Nationality: Spartan …etc. ?

    I usually use systemd for stuff like hibernate/suspend, e.g.

    systemd suspend

    and if on i3wm, I edit configs for sleep and lid close in /etc/systemd/sleep.conf

    Are these affected too?.