EU Announces New Age Verification App to Protect Minors Online

The European Commission has announced a new age verification application intended to allow users to prove their age online without sharing sensitive personal data with individual websites or apps. The app, described as "technically ready," will soon be available to citizens of the European Union.

Its announcement occurs amid global regulatory pressure on technology platforms to implement stronger protections for young users online.

How the App Will Work

The app was announced on Tuesday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen.

According to the Commission, the app will function as follows:

• Users will verify their age by uploading a passport or national ID card to the app.
• Online platforms can then access the app to confirm whether a user is above or below a specified age threshold, such as 16 or 18.
• The user's specific birthdate or other personal information is not shared with the platforms during this verification process.

The Commission stated the app provides a centralized verification method, removing the need for users to repeatedly submit identification to different services.

Official Statements and Regulatory Context

In a statement, von der Leyen and Virkkunen said:

"Online platforms can easily rely on our age verification app. So there are no more excuses. Europe offers a free and easy to use solution that can shield our children from harmful and illegal content."

In a separate LinkedIn post, von der Leyen stated the app will have the "highest privacy standards in the world."

The announcement is situated within the framework of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which regulates large online platforms. A European Commission technology spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, clarified the regulatory context:

• Platforms that are required to restrict access for minor users are not mandated to use this specific app.
• However, they must demonstrate that any alternative age verification tools they employ are equally effective.
• Platforms that fail to do so could face sanctions under the DSA.

The spokesperson also noted that EU member states will be able to tailor the app to align with their domestic laws, including any national age-related restrictions on social media access.

A Global Trend Toward Online Protection

The Commission's move aligns with a broader international trend of governments seeking to increase online protections for young people.

• Australia passed a law in December 2023 banning children under 16 from accessing social media without parental permission.
• Several U.S. states have passed legislation requiring age verification and parental consent for minors creating online accounts.
• Recent legal cases in the United States have found technology companies liable for harms related to young users. Last month, a California jury found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman with addictive features, and a New Mexico jury separately found Meta liable for enabling child sexual abuse on its platforms.

Some technology company leaders have previously raised concerns about the practicality and privacy implications of collecting user data for age verification. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has advocated for app stores to act as centralized age verification clearinghouses. In response, Google and Apple have argued that such a proposal would force them to collect unnecessary personal data from adult users.

Industry Response

Following the announcement, several major technology platforms were contacted for comment.

• Meta, Snap, TikTok, and Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
• Google declined to comment.