European Commission announces age verification app

The European Commission has finalised its age verification app for children and will make it available before the end of 2026. The app is intended to increase the safety of children when using the internet.

Several European states agree to make use of the app

The European Commission has announced that a new online age verification app is ready for deployment and will soon be available for citizens to use. The app has been in planning and development for a while now and will require users to scan their ID or passport, after which any site or app they visit that has a minimum age requirement can use the app to verify their age.

The free EU app will only share whether the user is old enough and doesn’t share anything else that would allow an online platform to track their data. “The app is completely anonymous, works on any device, and is fully open source, meaning partner countries around the world can also adopt it,” wrote the Commission in a news release.

Several European countries, such as France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Ireland, are already planning to make use of the EU app. It should be available for residents to download before the end of the year.

In Germany, Federal Minister of Family Affairs Karin Prien (CDU) has appointed a commission for “Kinder- und Jugendschutz in der digitalen Welt” (child and youth protection in the digital world). The commission is developing concrete measures and recommendations for Germany to increase protection for young internet users, reports the tagesschau. Their results are set to be finalised in the summer of 2026. 

EU wants stricter age verification to protect children online

Children's internet and social media use have been a topic of debate in the European Commission for a long time. Many members have taken notice of the negative impact that much of the addictive content has on children. While it can help kids grow their knowledge base and stay connected with friends and family, they are more likely to be exposed to harmful and illegal content, as well as online predators.

“It is our duty to protect our children in the online world, just as we do in the offline world. And to do that effectively, we need a harmonised European approach,” said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in an official statement. The age verification app is just part of the approach; stricter enforcement of European rules is also planned to hold online platforms accountable for endangering children online.

While it may not be mandatory for sites to use the age verification app, they will be obliged to provide an alternative or face heavy fines for failing to protect child users effectively. “I hope more member states and the private sector will follow so that every citizen can soon use the app,” said Von der Leyen. “This app gives parents, teachers, and caretakers a powerful tool to protect children.”

Social media age limit possible for Europe

The European Commission is also debating whether to implement a minimum age for social media. Whether the Commission finds this necessary will likely be revealed in the summer following an investigation.

A number of EU countries are also working on an age limit. The German Commissioner on Narcotic Drugs, Hendrik Streeck (CDU), has called for the implementation of a minimum age for using social media. A general phone ban in schools has also been discussed.