The European Commission has presented an age verification app aimed at protecting minors online. Announced by the Commission President, the app allows users to anonymously verify their age when accessing online services, with the goal of blocking harmful content without compromising privacy.
The initiative follows a political commitment first made in von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech in September, where she elevated child safety online as a key EU priority. “When it comes to the safety of children online, the situation is extremely worrying. One child in six is bullied online,” she said. She also pointed to addictive platform design and growing screen time, warning that such an environment “does not benefit young developing minds”.
“Our technical solution is ready,” von der Leyen said, describing a system that builds directly on the EU’s COVID certification app, repurposing a model that enabled secure, cross-border verification during the pandemic. Like its predecessor, the new tool is designed to be user-friendly, interoperable, and widely adoptable.
Mixed picture
Several Member States, including France, Spain, and Greece, are already considering…
