In mid-April, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen presented a novel EU digital solution—the Age Verification App. ‘This app will allow users to prove their age when accessing online platforms. Just like shops ask for proof of age for people buying alcoholic beverages in a shop,’ President von der Leyen said. According to her, at the time of its unveiling, the app was already ‘technically ready’ even for download.
As EU countries introduce age restrictions for access to certain online sites, including social media platforms, the issue of verifying users’ ages has become a central policy dilemma. Many objected to sharing documents (such as IDs or passports) that verify users’ ages with digital platforms, as it poses both security and privacy risks. To circumvent this problem, the European Commission developed its own age verification platform. Though EU app users could access age-restricted online content and services without sharing their data, name, date of birth, or address directly with big tech companies.
The app offers users three ways to prove their age. Users can either scan their IDs or passports or verify their age through trusted third parties (such as banks or other institutions). Once users fulfil the requirements of one of these three procedures, the app checks whether the user’s face matches the photo on the uploaded document. If the user passes this ‘test’, the EU-developed app issues an anonymous digital credential that can be used to prove one’s age to digital platforms, thereby replacing pop-up age-confirmation banners currently in use. That is, while personal and biometric data is not shared directly with tech companies, users do have to share their personal data throughout the process.
As of now, the Age Verification App is a voluntary tool for both digital platforms and users. However, often the EU’s ‘voluntary’ tools soon become mandatory dictates. For instance, in certain cases, the EU already requires parental consent to process the personal data of children under the age of 16. That is, although there is currently no general age-verification requirement, certain EU directives arguably require large tech companies to assess or verify the age of their users. If tech companies introduce age verification as a prerequisite to join their platforms (to better align with EU regulations), soon the EU’s recommended Age Verification App can become compulsory.
The European Commission framed the app as a necessary tool to ensure children’s online safety and protect minors from ‘harmful and illegal content’ in line with the Digital Services Act (DSA). It is a widely spread belief both in EU institutions and in Member States that restricting internet access is the way forward to protect children’s mental health. The European Parliament adopted a non-binding report urging the EU to introduce a minimum age of 16 for social media platforms in line with this argument. Following the EP’s vote, the Commission convened a panel of experts, who commenced working on a draft recommendation, with President von der Leyen planning to attend one of the panel’s meetings in the coming weeks.
‘If tech companies introduce age verification as a prerequisite to join their platforms…the EU’s recommended Age Verification App can become compulsory’
Despite its good intentions to protect children online, some have already raised free speech concerns about the initiative. The app creates new barriers to accessing the internet, while it can also lead to online surveillance and undermine users’ anonymity. ‘Brussels is once again pushing for a centralized, EU-wide technological tool. The hastily announced age verification app poses a massive risk to the privacy of citizens,’ Piotr Müller, a Polish lawmaker for the European Conservatives and Reformists, said.
The potential negative effect of the app on privacy and free expression is underscored by the fiasco that followed President von der Leyen’s announcement. Within days, the European Commission was forced to acknowledge that the application required further improvements after vulnerabilities in its source code were exposed. A security consultant, Paul Moore, for instance, said that he was able to hack the app in less than two minutes and that the app leaves users’ data unprotected. Others highlighted that the app verifies the age of the phone’s owner, and not the actual user’s age—ie, in case the phone is verified by an adult, minors in the same family can still access any content they want with the verified phone. Soon, EU officials had to publicly admit that ‘immediate steps’ were needed to address the app’s weaknesses.
The Age Verification App is integrated into the EU’s Digital Identity Wallet framework. Under this EU regulation, Member States are preparing to roll out ‘universal’ ‘digital identities’ by 2026. Under this scheme, Member States are obliged to offer citizens ‘digital wallets’ that collect personal data such as diplomas, bank account details, and driving licenses in one place. Companies will have to accept these wallets for authentication, while they will apply cross-border; that is, Member States will be liable to recognize the digital identities issued across the bloc.
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