European online proof of age the program is ready.
This app works with passports or ID cards, is designed to be “totally anonymous” to the people using it, works on any device (smartphones, tablets, laptops), and open source. “Best of all, online platforms can easily rely on our age verification software, so there are no more excuses,” he said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference on Wednesday. “Europe offers a free and easy-to-use solution that can protect our children from dangerous and illegal content.”
High Expectations
“It is our responsibility to protect our children in the online world as we do in the offline world. And to do that effectively, we need a coordinated European approach,” von der Leyen said at a press conference on Wednesday. “And one of the key issues is the question, how can we ensure a technical solution for age verification that is valid across Europe? Today, I can announce that we have the answer.”
This answer uses an open source software framework that any private company can reuse, as long as it complies with European privacy standards and provides the same technical solution across the EU. The user downloads the app, accepts the terms and conditions, enters a pin or biometric access, and verifies their age through an electronic ID system, or by showing a passport or ID card (in which case biometric verification is also provided). The app doesn’t store your name, date of birth, ID number, or any other personal information, according to the European Commission—unless you’re over a certain age.
After that, when a person using the app wants to access a social network (minimum age: 13), a porn site (minimum age: 18), or any age-protected content, if he is logged in from a computer, he only needs to scan the QR code displayed on the website he wants to visit. If, on the other hand, a person logs in from a smartphone, the program sends the age confirmation automatically. The platform does not access the document that the user originally verified.
Adoption Event
The need to establish a common system for the entire European Community has has been discussed for some timeand according to the commission’s technicians, the technical work is now complete. Of course, it will still be possible to circumvent the system—all it takes is for an adult to lend their phone to a younger friend—but the technological architecture is there, and it will be up to the EU member states to decide whether to integrate it into national digital wallets or develop independent applications.
“No More Excuses”
For the app to work properly, systems must be responsible for verifying the age of their users—that’s where things get tricky. The Digital Services Actwhich entered into force in 2024it requires “very large online platforms”—those with more than 45 million monthly users in the European Union—to take effective measures to reduce systemic risks related to child protection, with severe penalties for non-compliance.
“And that’s why Europe has DSA: to call online platforms to their responsibilities. Because Europe will not tolerate platforms making money at the expense of our children,” European Commission vice president Henna Virkkunen told a press conference. He added that after the investigation about TikTok, European institutions plan to take similar measures against Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, as well as four pornographic sites. “Since the platforms don’t have enough age verification tools, we developed a solution ourselves,” he concluded. In short, as von der Leyen also said, “no more excuses.”
Just the minimum
Until now, this is a European system that sets general rules. On this basis, member states may consider more restrictive measures. Italy was among the first countries to discuss how to regulate the use of social media by children but so far it has come to nothing. Elsewhere in the EU, France’s Emmanuel Macron has been a follower of the issue, pushing France to discuss a law banning social media for children under the age of 15. So far, this move has received a lot of political support—but the results are highly dependent on the compatibility of the Digital Services Act and the availability of effective age verification systems like the one the European Commission has just released.
This article appeared previously WIRED Italy and translated.
