“We are holding online platforms accountable that do not protect enough our kids. The new age verification solution and the enforcement of our rules go hand in hand,” said von der Leyen. “Online platforms can easily rely on our age verification app so there are no more excuses.”
The Commission expects European-wide apps to be ready to download in coming weeks, developed by companies that will be verified by the Commission, a senior official told reporters. EU countries will launch their own versions later this year, the official said.
There are three ways people can verify their age: via their passport, a national ID or via trusted providers such as banks or schools. That can then be used by the tech platforms to check if a person trying to access a service is of the required age.
A senior Commission official said in a briefing to reporters that there were “multiple excuses” used by most big platforms to avoid verifying the ages of their users. The EU’s solution is the “easiest age verification system” for platforms because they don’t have to log any info about users, the official said.
They admitted that it will be “annoying” to verify one’s age online, but said that there is a balance to be struck between inconveniencing people and protecting children.
Von der Leyen has pushed forward EU initiatives to protect minors from online harms and risks to mental health posed by social media. Many national governments are also working on social media bans for minors and teenagers, with France leading that push.