Hi everyone,
I would like to share a general update and thought about something bigger than only one operating system.
Across Europe, digital technology is changing very quickly. Governments are introducing new rules for repairability, cybersecurity, online safety, age verification, digital identity, and consumer protection. Some of these developments are positive. Some need to be watched carefully. But together they show one thing very clearly:
Technology is no longer only about hardware and software. It is also about control, ownership, repairability, privacy, and user rights.
One important example is the EU Right to Repair Directive. The directive was adopted on 13 June 2024, entered into force on 30 July 2024, and EU Member States must transpose it into national law and apply it from 31 July 2026. Its goal is to make repair easier, encourage reuse, and reduce premature disposal of repairable products.
In practice, this means that manufacturers of certain repairable products will have stronger repair obligations. They must provide clearer repair information, make spare parts available at reasonable prices, and must not use contractual clauses, hardware techniques, or software techniques that unnecessarily block repair, unless justified by legitimate and objective reasons.
The Netherlands is also preparing for these rules. The Dutch government information page explains that the new rules are expected in 2026 and will make it easier and cheaper for consumers to repair products instead of replacing them. It also mentions duties to repair, clearer information, repair forms, and repair platforms.
There are also new EU rules for smartphones and tablets. From 20 June 2025, ecodesign and energy-labelling requirements apply to smartphones, feature phones, cordless phones, and slate tablets placed on the EU market. These rules include information on durability, energy efficiency, battery life, and repairability.
Another important area is cybersecurity. The EU Cyber Resilience Act is designed to make digital products safer by requiring manufacturers to design, update, and maintain hardware and software products with cybersecurity in mind. It entered into force in December 2024, with important obligations phased in later, including full application from December 2027.
At the same time, the EU is also working on age verification for online platforms. The European Commission says its approach is focused on user-friendly and privacy-preserving age verification, mainly for legally age-restricted online content such as adult content, gambling, alcohol-related services, and similar areas. The Commission made an age-verification blueprint available in 2025, and the solution became feature-ready in April 2026.
The Commission also says the age-verification app should allow users to prove their age without sharing unnecessary personal data, and EU countries are encouraged to roll it out by the end of 2026.
For me, the important distinction is this:
Regulation of online platforms is one thing.
Turning the whole computer or operating system into an identity-control layer would be something very different.
A website or online service may have legal duties for restricted content. But the operating system is the basic layer of the personal computer. It should not become a general checkpoint before people can use their own device.
This is one of the reasons why Linux matters.
Linux does not automatically make a user private or secure. No operating system can promise 100% security or 100% privacy. If someone installs unsafe software, unknown browser extensions, suspicious scripts, or connects many cloud accounts, privacy can be reduced on any system.
But Linux gives the user a stronger starting point.
A Linux distribution such as Zorin OS allows users to work with a local system, choose their own browser, decide which apps to install, choose whether or not to connect cloud services, and keep more control over the machine. The user is not forced from the first moment into one commercial account ecosystem.
That is very important for people who feel that modern computing is moving from ownership toward permission.
The same idea also connects with repair. Many people do not only want a device that works today. They want a device they can understand, maintain, repair, reinstall, and keep useful for longer. Linux helps with that, because it can often give older computers a second life and reduce dependence on one vendor’s upgrade cycle.
This is not about attacking Windows, macOS, Android, or any company. Every system has advantages and disadvantages. It is also not about saying that Linux is perfect. It is not.
The point is simpler:
Users should have real choice.
They should know what their computer is doing.
They should decide what services they use.
They should be able to repair and maintain their devices.
They should not be forced into unnecessary accounts or background systems.
They should be able to keep hardware useful for longer.
They should have access to a community that helps them understand the system.
That is why Zorin OS is important for many new users. It gives people an easier first step into Linux while keeping the deeper freedom of Linux underneath.
For beginners, Zorin OS makes the transition less frightening.
For advanced users, Linux remains powerful and flexible.
For consumers, open systems help preserve choice, repairability, and control.
In a time when digital technology is becoming more regulated, more connected, and more account-based, that kind of user control becomes more valuable, not less.
Best regards,
Daniel
