Asger Risom
The European Commission is rolling out a new tool to enforce digital protections for minors—without sacrificing users’ personal data.
As the EU ramps up its digital regulation efforts, protecting children online has become a central policy concern.
Social platforms are facing growing pressure to address addictive design, harmful content, and safety breaches. Now, a new tool is set to help enforce these standards.
A privacy-focused solution for verifying age
Beginning in July, the EU will launch a digital age-verification app designed to shield minors from inappropriate content on online platforms. According to the Financial Times, the system will allow users to confirm their age without handing over sensitive personal data to social networks.
The initiative is positioned as a precursor to the EU’s broader digital identity wallet, scheduled for 2026.
Unlike current practices where platforms set their own vague or easily bypassed age checks, this centralized app could offer a consistent, privacy-conscious standard. Platforms targeting minors or hosting adult content are already legally obliged to implement protective measures—but until now, enforcement tools were lacking.
Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s commissioner for digital affairs, emphasized the urgency of the issue:
“Protection of minors is a very high priority for us, and we are going to take further steps in this area.”
She urged tech firms to act voluntarily and proactively, warning that a patchwork of international regulations could otherwise take shape.
Platforms under scrutiny
Major social networks are already facing investigations over child safety. Meta and TikTok are being probed for their allegedly addictive design choices and inadequate protections. Virkkunen called out the psychological toll of such platforms on younger users:
“Minors use these apps for hours at a time, sometimes all day. That clearly has consequences for their well-being.”
Meanwhile, adult content sites such as Pornhub and Stripchat are also under investigation for failing to properly restrict access to minors.
Member states push for further regulation
Several EU countries are lobbying for a bloc-wide minimum age to access social media.
While a unified rule may be difficult to establish due to national cultural differences, Brussels is betting on platform accountability. The goal is to reduce reliance on government bans and instead promote safer digital design by default.
Despite tensions with Washington over broader tech policy, the EU and U.S. appear aligned on child protection.
Virkkunen noted that during recent talks in D.C., American tech leaders and regulators also highlighted online safety for minors as a shared priority.
As summer approaches, the EU’s new app could mark a step toward more consistent—and more private—digital safety enforcement across the continent.