Five EU Nations Launch Age-Verification App to Protect Children Online

On July 14, 2023, the European Commission announced that five EU countries—Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain—will pilot an age-verification app designed to shield children from accessing harmful online content. This initiative comes amid increasing calls from various European nations for more stringent regulations to protect minors as concerns about their safety online continue to rise.

Development of the Age-Verification App

The prototype app will enable users to confirm they are over 18 years old, thereby preventing children from encountering inappropriate material. Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s technology chief, emphasized the importance of this tool, stating it would provide a straightforward method for age verification.

“It’s hard to imagine a world where kids can enter a store to buy alcohol or access a nightclub simply by claiming they are old enough, without any form of identification,” said Caroline Stage Olsen, Denmark’s digital minister. She expressed hope that the app would help create a safer online environment, akin to ensuring that nightclubs have bouncers to check IDs.

The app will be tailored by each member state to align with their specific regulations and age limits for various services, including social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok as well as adult content and gambling sites. For instance, France has set a minimum age of 15 for social media use, exceeding the 13 years mandated by many platforms.

Regulatory Framework and Ongoing Concerns

The EU has some of the strictest digital regulations globally, with ongoing investigations into how platforms protect children. According to the Digital Services Act (DSA), which establishes standards for content moderation, online platforms must take significant measures to ensure the safety of younger users. As part of this framework, the EU has issued recommendations aimed at enhancing child safety online.

“We need to ensure that online platforms are actively preventing minors from exposure to harmful content,” stated a spokesperson for the European Commission.

Among the recommendations are the removal of features that may encourage addictive behaviors, such as read receipts, which inform users when messages have been seen. The EU also advocates for features that assist minors in blocking or muting unwanted users, as well as stricter controls on notifications and access to device cameras.

Denmark, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, has prioritized this issue and will continue to advocate for further initiatives to enhance child protection online. The growing body of evidence linking excessive social media use and smartphone dependency to negative mental and physical health outcomes for minors has intensified the urgency of these measures.

Once the app is fully developed, users will be able to download it from online stores to verify their ages before accessing specific websites. The European Commission has indicated that the app will undergo further customization by EU states in collaboration with online platforms and users.

In addition to its online applications, the age-verification app could also serve in real-world contexts, such as verifying age during the purchase of age-restricted products like alcohol and cigarettes.

The collaboration among these five EU states marks a significant step towards enhancing online safety for children, reflecting a collective commitment to addressing the challenges posed by digital platforms.