EU waves through open source age-check tool to keep kids safe online

'Online platforms can rely on our app,' says Commish, 'there are no more excuses'

The European Commission has recommended EU member states adopt an age verification app designed to protect children from harmful online content.

In an announcement, the EU’s executive branch said it had approved the roll-out the technology, which member states can deploy as a standalone app or integrate into a European Digital Identity Wallet - a system they are due to develop to agreed specifications by year's end.

The recommendation builds on the regulatory groundwork laid by the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA), both passed in 2022 to boost the bloc's power in tackling the dominance of big tech companies in citizens lives. The DSA requires online platforms to ensure high level of privacy, security and safety for minors.

The EC's app is designed to let users prove they comply with age requirements without revealing their actual age, identity or any other personal details. In April, it announced the app was ready to deploy, and has now formally recommended member states adopt it.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy said in a statement:

"Effective and privacy-preserving age verification is the next piece of the puzzle that we are getting closer to completing, as we work towards an online space where our children are safe and empowered to use positively and responsibly without restricting the rights of adults."

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who declared the app ready earlier this month, noted France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Ireland are already planning to integrate it into their national wallets.

"Online platforms can easily rely on our age verification app. So there are no more excuses,” she said.

The app works across major mobile and PC platforms. Users register using a passport or ID card but but no personal details are disclosed to online services, meaning users cannot be tracked. It is open source, allowing developers to view the code and partner countries outside the EU are also free to use it.

The UK took a very different approach, mandating last summer that websites hosting adult content verify users' ages, while leaving the method of verification to service providers. Platforms were told to store personal data only where strictly necessary. ®