8.5 KiB
BoredOS — Usage Policy & Disclaimer
Version 1.0 | Last updated: May 2026
1. Acceptance of Terms
By installing, running, copying, modifying, or otherwise using BoredOS, you acknowledge that you have read this policy, understand it, and agree to be bound by its terms.
If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use, install, or distribute BoredOS. Where technically feasible (e.g. in installer or first-boot contexts), an explicit acknowledgment prompt will be presented. Proceeding past that prompt constitutes acceptance of this policy.
2. License
BoredOS is free software released under the GNU General Public License v3.0
(GPLv3). A full copy of the license is available in the LICENSE
file in this repository.
The GPLv3 governs your rights to copy, modify, and redistribute BoredOS. This Usage Policy is a supplementary document and does not override or modify the permissions and conditions granted by the GPLv3. In the event of any conflict between this document and the GPLv3, the GPLv3 takes precedence with respect to software licensing rights.
Certain restrictions in this policy (in particular, the jurisdictional restrictions in Section 3) are incorporated as additional terms under GPLv3 Section 7. Violation of those restrictions therefore constitutes a breach of the copyright license under which BoredOS is distributed, and automatically terminates your rights under the GPLv3 in accordance with Section 8 of that license.
3. Jurisdictional Restrictions
3.1 Age Verification Laws
BoredOS does not implement any form of age verification, and the author has no plans to add such a mechanism. BoredOS is an operating system and does not collect user data, connect to external services, or provide online content that is regulated under age-gating legislation.
However, certain jurisdictions have enacted laws that impose age verification or age-appropriate design obligations on software or digital services accessible to minors, including but not limited to:
- California, USA — California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (AB 2273)
- United States (federal) — Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), as enforced by the FTC
- United Kingdom — Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code) under the UK GDPR / Data Protection Act 2018
- Any other jurisdiction that enacts substantially similar legislation requiring age verification, age-appropriate design assessments, or parental consent mechanisms for software accessible to users under the age of 16 or 18
3.2 Prohibited Use in Restricted Jurisdictions
If you are located in, or subject to the laws of, any jurisdiction described in Section 3.1, you are not permitted to use, install, execute, deploy, distribute, sublicense, or otherwise interact with BoredOS in any form.
"Use" for the purposes of this section means:
- Installing or running BoredOS on any hardware or virtual machine
- Distributing BoredOS or any derivative work to third parties
- Deploying BoredOS in any environment accessible to others
- Incorporating BoredOS or its components into any other software product
By using BoredOS, you represent and warrant that the laws of your jurisdiction do not require the operator or distributor of this software to implement age verification or age-gating controls. This restriction is incorporated as an additional condition of the copyright license pursuant to GPLv3 Section 7(e). Breach of this restriction terminates your rights under the GPLv3.
3.3 Permitted Jurisdictions
In jurisdictions that do not impose age verification or age-gating obligations on software of this nature — including, at the time of writing, the Netherlands and many other countries — any person of any age may use BoredOS freely, subject to the terms of the GPLv3 and this policy.
3.4 No Monitoring of Compliance
The author does not have the technical means or intent to enforce jurisdictional restrictions on a per-user basis. These restrictions are stated in good faith to clarify the intended scope of use and to allocate legal responsibility appropriately. If you are unsure whether your jurisdiction imposes such requirements, consult a qualified legal professional before using or distributing BoredOS.
4. Privacy & Data Collection
BoredOS collects absolutely no data.
- No telemetry
- No analytics
- No crash reports
- No user accounts
- No network communication initiated by the OS itself
- No cookies, tracking pixels, or persistent identifiers of any kind
BoredOS runs entirely on your local hardware. The author has no visibility into who runs BoredOS, how it is used, or on what hardware it is installed.
The GitHub repository hosting BoredOS source code is operated by GitHub, Inc., which may collect data in accordance with GitHub's own Privacy Policy. The author has no control over and is not responsible for GitHub's data practices.
5. Disclaimer of Warranties
BoredOS is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
The author makes no representations or warranties that:
- BoredOS will operate correctly on any given hardware configuration
- BoredOS is free of bugs, security vulnerabilities, or defects
- BoredOS is fit for any production, safety-critical, or mission-critical use
Do not use BoredOS in any environment where failure could result in personal injury, data loss, financial harm, or other significant consequences.
To the extent that mandatory provisions of applicable law (including EU consumer protection law) imply warranties that cannot be excluded, such warranties are limited in duration and scope to the minimum required by law.
6. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by the mandatory laws of your jurisdiction, the author of BoredOS shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including but not limited to loss of data, loss of profits, hardware damage, or business interruption) arising out of the use or inability to use BoredOS, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
Nothing in this section limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under applicable mandatory law.
The author is a private individual contributing this project freely to the open-source community. This project generates no revenue. Any legal claims should be assessed proportionally to this context.
7. No Endorsement
The BoredOS name and branding may not be used to endorse or promote products or services derived from this software without prior written permission from the author. This is consistent with, and does not supersede, the terms of the GPLv3.
8. Governing Law & Jurisdiction
This policy and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with it are governed by the laws of the Netherlands, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
Any disputes arising out of or in connection with this policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, except where mandatory applicable law requires otherwise.
9. Severability
If any provision of this policy is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, that provision shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed if modification is not possible. The validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be affected.
10. Changes to This Policy
This policy may be updated from time to time, for example to reflect changes in applicable law. Each version will carry an updated version number and date. The most current version will always be available in the BoredOS GitHub repository. Prior versions will be retained in the repository history.
Continued use of BoredOS after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. If you do not agree to an updated version, you must cease using BoredOS.
11. Contact
This project is maintained by its author on a best-effort, voluntary basis. For questions about this policy, open an issue on the GitHub repository.
BoredOS Usage Policy v1.1 — May 2026