The European Union already has an app ready for age verification on online platforms. It will be launched soon

The European Union has an app ready to verify age on online platforms. It will soon be available for use.

This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

The user will need to download the application to any gadget, set it up using an ID card, and then use it to confirm age when accessing online services.

Von der Leyen assures that the app meets the highest privacy standards — it is completely anonymous. Users will confirm their age without revealing any other personal information.

The application will be fully open source, making it available to EU partner countries and easily relied upon by online platforms for age verification.

Von der Leyen promised zero tolerance for platforms that do not respect the rights of European children, including the right to be protected online.

The Financial Times wrote in May 2025 that the European Union was going to launch such an application, and it was said to be launched in July of that year.

Internet restrictions for minors

In 2024, the European Union launched an investigation into social media platforms Facebook and Instagram for potential violations of the EU Digital Services Act related to child safety. A similar case was opened against TikTok.

And in July 2024, the Spanish government developed a program called Cartera Digital Beta (“Digital Wallet Beta”), which will allow internet platforms to verify whether a potential porn viewer is 18 or older.

In May 2025, the European Commission opened formal proceedings against adult content platforms Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos for suspected violations of child protection rules.

In June 2024, X updated its policies to allow users to post adult content. By default, users who are under 18 or have not entered their date of birth cannot view NSFW material.

In December 2025, Australia banned children under 16 from using social media. And in January 2026, France supported a bill in the first reading to ban social media for children under 15. Next, the bill will be considered by the Senate (the upper house of parliament), if it makes any changes, the document will be voted on again in the National Assembly.

If the law is passed, France will become the first country in Europe to introduce a complete ban on social media. The United Kingdom and Spain also want to ban social media for children under 16. Greece plans to ban access to social media for children under 15 from January 1, 2027.

Ireland has already launched a test phase of a digital wallet with an age verification feature, which should limit teenagersʼ access to social media.

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