\u201cMaking sure our children and young people are safe online is of paramount importance to this Commission,\u201d said EU tech policy leader Henna Virkkunen. \u201cThe guidelines on the protection of minors for online platforms, combined with the new age verification blueprint, are a huge step forward in this regard. Platforms have no excuse to be continuing practices that put children at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
The age verification app is designed to allow users to prove they are over 18 when accessing restricted adult content online, helping the EU to crack down on platforms that are failing to meet obligations under laws like the DSA, and enabling companies to adopt the bloc\u2019s verification toolbox instead of developing their own. The EU Commission says that app users will retain full control over their personal information, such as their exact age or identity, and that the online content they view will remain private.<\/p>\n
The verification app prototype will be \u201ctested and further customized in collaboration with Member States, online platforms and end-users,\u201d according to the EU Commission, with Denmark, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy aiming to launch national age verification apps. It\u2019s positioned as a temporary solution that will be superseded by the EU Digital Identity Wallet<\/a> that\u2019s expected to launch in 2026, which aims to provide a way for \u201cEuropean citizens, residents and businesses to prove who they are when accessing digital services\u201d and a place to \u201csafely store, share and sign important digital documents.\u201d<\/p>\n While the bloc\u2019s DSA rulebook doesn\u2019t impose specific age verification requirements, websites and online platforms are obligated to protect the \u201chealth, physical, mental, and moral development\u201d of minors who use their services, and provide them with the \u201chighest level of privacy, safety, and security.\u201d The new guidance urges online platforms to address concerns around exposing children to harmful content, cyberbullying, unwanted interactions with strangers, and addictive design features.<\/p>\n