[$] openSUSE "terms of site" raise complaints about age restrictions
The openSUSE project faced backlash over its updated terms of service that imposed an age restriction of 16 years for users. This change, which required parental approval for users under 16, was criticized for potentially limiting participation from younger contributors. Following complaints from community members, the terms have been modified, but the age requirement remains in place for account creation.
- ▪The age restriction was added to openSUSE's terms of service on March 10, 2026.
- ▪Dominik George, founder of Teckids, argued that there is no legal basis for banning minors from using the site.
- ▪The openSUSE board member Jeff Mahoney stated that the age requirement was not requested by the project or board.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
LWN.net needs you! Without subscribers, LWN would simply not exist. Please consider signing up for a subscription and helping to keep LWN publishing. By Joe BrockmeierMay 19, 2026 Many people in the Linux community began using the operating system—and contributing to open source—at a tender age, often well before their 16th birthday. Thus, a recent change in openSUSE's terms of site (ToS) that required users of the project's web site to be "at least 16 years of age or the age of majority" in their jurisdiction has raised objections. The terms have since been modified, though users must still have parental approval to create accounts if they are younger than 16. Must be 16 or older to enter The age restriction seems to have been added on March 10, 2026, according to the site's history.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at LWN.net (Linux Weekly News).