Social, EU launches age verification app: first test in Italy
European Commission Vice-President Virkkunen: first step towards the digital identity portfolio, expected by the end of 2026
2' min read
2' min read
The EU Commission presented guidelines for the digital protection of minors and a prototype of an application for age verification of users on platforms under the Digital Service Act. This was announced by the Vice President of the European Commission, Henna Virkkunen.
Italy, France, Spain, Greece and Denmark will participate in the pilot phase of the app, which is one of the building blocks that will make up the digital identity wallet expected by the end of 2026. The app will be used to check whether the user is over 18 years old without having to reveal any further personal information in order to respect privacy.
How the technology works
.The prototype app, which sets a 'gold standard' in online age assurance, will, for instance, allow users to easily prove that they are over 18 when accessing adult content online, while retaining full control over any other personal information, such as the user's exact age or identity. No one will be able to track, view or reconstruct the content accessed by individual users. The verification app will be tested and further customised in cooperation with Member States, online platforms and end users.
Fighting addiction and cyberbullying
.The five Member States will be the first to adopt the technical solution with the aim of launching a customised national age verification app. The prototype could be integrated into a national app or remain a stand-alone app. "Ensuring the safety of our children and young people online is of paramount importance to this Commission," said Virkkunen. "Platforms," he stressed, "have no excuse to continue putting children at risk."
Other aspects touched upon by the guidelines include addictive design, cyberbullying, harmful content, and unwanted contact from strangers. In particular, it is suggested to reduce the exposure of minors to practices that can stimulate addictive behaviour and to disable functions that promote the excessive use of online services, such as streaks, a kind of activity tracking system, and read message confirmations. To combat cyberbullying, it is considered necessary to give minors the possibility to block or mute users, ensuring that they cannot be added to groups without their explicit consent.
