European Union Says Age Verification App to Protect Children Online Is Ready

European Union officials announced a new age verification app designed to protect children online, as governments worldwide grapple with how to limit minors’ exposure to harmful digital content without compromising privacy or access.

Henna Virkkunen, European Commission executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, said in an April 15 statement that the app is technically ready and will allow users to prove their age without sharing sensitive personal data.

“Our solution builds on zero-knowledge proof,” she said, adding that users would remain “in full control” of their data when accessing age-restricted services.

Virkkunen said the approach avoids requiring platforms to scan passports or facial data.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the app as “completely anonymous” in an April 15 statement, adding that users can set it up using a passport or ID card.

“So there are no more excuses,” von der Leyen said. “Europe offers a free and easy-to-use solution that can shield our children from harmful and illegal content.

The announcement comes amid a broader global push to regulate children’s access to social media.

Several countries, including Australia, France, Greece, Denmark, Spain, and Slovenia, have announced or implemented restrictions, with Australia becoming the first to ban social media use for children younger than age 16 in December 2025.

Opposition

Digital rights and civil liberties groups have pushed back sharply against the EU’s age-verification thrust, arguing that it risks undermining core online freedoms while doing little to improve child safety. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has said that such mandates force users to “sacrifice their anonymity, privacy, and security simply to access lawful speech,” describing them as a form of censorship that can disproportionately harm marginalized communities.

Meanwhile, the Open Rights Group says regulators are driving platforms toward increasingly invasive tools—such as biometric scans or ID checks—despite technical limits, data-misuse risks, and evidence that users can easily bypass restrictions. The group said efforts such as the EU’s age-verification push raise the risk of a broader expansion of online surveillance without clear effectiveness.

In the United States, no federal law has been enacted banning social media for children younger than age 16, although at least 17 states had passed laws addressing minors’ access to social media or “addictive feeds” as of February, according to the Age Verification Providers Association.

According to the European Commission, seven countries are testing versions of the age verification system.

“France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland are front-runners. They are planning to integrate the app into their national wallets,” von der Leyen said.

Virkkunen said she plans to establish an EU-wide coordination mechanism later in April to ensure consistent implementation across member states. The goal, she said, is to create a unified system rather than “27 different ones.”

The EU also intends to make the app’s blueprint open source, allowing private companies to build compatible solutions, provided that they meet privacy standards and technical requirements.

“The internet must be a safe place for our kids,” Virkkunen said. “One where they can learn, grow, and connect.”

‘Unprecedented Action’

Virkkunen said the EU has taken what she described as “unprecedented action” against TikTok over features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, and algorithmic personalization, which she said were designed to maximize user engagement, particularly among children.

“The message is clear: In Europe, TikTok will have to change its fundamental design,” she said, emphasizing that the bloc “refuse[s] to compromise on our children’s [well-being].”

She added that similar actions are underway against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and the fast-fashion platform Shein, as well as four unnamed pornographic websites that the EU says lack proper age verification safeguards.

The enforcement push comes as regulators argue that many platforms have failed to adequately prevent minors from accessing harmful or inappropriate material.

Survey Findings

The effectiveness of social media bans remains under scrutiny, with early survey results showing mixed findings.

A YouGov survey published on March 17 found that 59 percent of Australian adults believe that the country’s under-16 ban has been effective, reflecting what researchers described as cautious optimism.

Before the ban, 77 percent of adults had expressed concern about online risks to children, including cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content. However, some parents reported negative impacts such as increased digital inequality, migration to less-regulated platforms, and reduced social connections among children.

Separate research, published on April 13 by the UK-based online safety nonprofit Molly Rose Foundation, has raised concerns about enforcement.

The group found that 61 percent of Australian children aged 12 to 15 who had accounts before the ban retained access to at least one restricted platform.

The study also found that platforms often failed to remove underage accounts, with many children reporting no action taken against their profiles.

Half of the respondents said the ban had made no difference to their online safety, while 14 percent said they felt less safe.

The Molly Rose Foundation said the findings call into question the effectiveness of outright bans, warning that they could provide “a false sense of safety” while failing to address underlying platform design issues.

Governments continue to explore alternative approaches. The UK on March 25 said it would launch a six-week trial involving 300 families to test measures such as social media bans, time limits, and digital curfews.

Officials said the pilot program aims to determine what works in practice before deciding on a national policy.