If you thought Microsoft fingerprint and facial recognition was not bad enough then you are in for a new treat. As from 16th September 2026, three US states had started passing new laws which would require Windows and other operating systems to implement ID verification for all age groups.

A new California law, known as California’s Digital Age Assurance Act, has been enforced that will require Windows and all other Operating systems (MacOS, Android, ChromeOS) to begin collecting users’ ages beginning early 2027 with Colorado and Illinois following up.

Although, the law is exempted for Linux Operating System which, in itself, is a win for the open-source community.

With only the three states upholding the law, similar bills are shifting over to other states and the proposed federal Parents Decide acts stated that if passed, then the Operating Systems age verification process might integrate nationwide.

Microsoft has categorized 2 types of age checks for Windows 11 Operating System: Verified and Unverified.

The Windows OS will contain a Windows Age API that can request your age and provide users with an age range result between 10 to 18+. Although, users can bypass the check by just entering their age manually, but in the event of verifying your age, Microsoft will require users to attach their personal information after a certain period.

At this moment, Apple has began introducing mandatory age verification process for new user accounts in the state of Texas and soon more states are likely to join.

An extended look into the 3 states age laws:

1. California – Enacted the Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), which will take effect on January 1st, 2027. It will include all closed operating systems (Windows, MacOS, and more) and exclude open-source OS such as Linux as per AB-1856 law which was passed in September 2026
2. Colorado – Enacted bill SB26-051, which will take effect on July 1st, 2028. Also exempting open-source OS such as Linux similar to California’s Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043)
3. Illinois – Enacted the Children’s Online Social Media Safety Act (HB5511), which will take effect on January 1st, 2028 and include both Open-source and Closed-Source Operating Systems unlike California and Colorado.

How the Age Verification Process Works

To begin the process, Microsoft instructs their users to log into their government website portal and provide a selfie image of their face, or a government documentation such as a driving license or Identification card in order to begin the age verification process.

After you have verified your age, your verification status will be available on any devices you sign onto. Although, certain governments has made it mandatory that Microsoft and other Operating systems process any logged out user be treated as minor accounts for security measures and will be limited to certain functionalities outside of verified age groups.

Currently, the age verification process is only available in United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, and Brazil.