(Thanks for actually engaging with the discussion).

On another hand, if you prevent Linux adoption in a large demographic, you remove a threat to big tech’s dominance.

Ok, sort of, maybe but this move is the move of big tech dominance. By caving to it, “linux” is positioning itself into a position of compliance with them, not opposition. What complying does is also removing the option to really oppose and evade big tech’s dominance.

We’re simply entering the era where installing an illegal operating system becomes a thing that is possible, because previously nobody cared to make an operating system illegal. And I would to have many distros to choose from that don’t comply with this, but I will pick the wacky silly outlier if I hate to. At least I like to think of myself as doing that.

Uh, “no u”.

Putting the birthdate into linux is only helping Google, Apple and Microsoft.

…you can’t just say and claim that. At least give me some argument why would that be helping those companies.

Imo, the move would be if all linux distros were to let the date come and go and just geo block all requests from countries and zip codes that do this. Users breaking the law would not be the problem of the organization making the OS. If they’re not “offering” the OS in those zip codes, refuse all service, patches, updates, everything, they would not be legally responsible.