EU preparing to introduce age verification app to protect minors

The European Commission is working on an age verification solution that will be introduced this Summer.

The goal of the initiative is to protect adolescents from visiting adult-restricted and potentially harmful online content, such as pornography, gambling, alcohol, and tobacco. They can also demonstrate that they’re old enough to qualify for certain services or discounts.

Users who want to visit these websites will have to prove they’re over 18 years old. To do this, they have to download the age verification app and verify their age by scanning their passport or linking to a banking app. Websites only get to see whether a user meets the age requirements; no additional information is provided.

The design and development of the age verification solution is being done by Scytales and T-Systems. Each Member State can adapt the app to match its national language. The companies will be providing a white-label app this Summer. According to the official roadmap, the age verification app will first be released in July.

The age verification app is only a temporary solution meant to close the gap between now and the introduction of the ID Wallet in 2026.

The ID Wallet not only stores your identity papers, but also other important documents, including your driver’s license, birth certificate, marriage certificate, or medicine prescription.

You can use the ID Wallet to verify your age when you’re at the pub or want to buy cigarettes, but also to prove you’re registered at the Chamber of Commerce, indicating you’re a reliable business partner. If you’re ever in need of medicine while you’re abroad, you can show the local pharmacy your doctor’s prescription.

The ID Wallet can come in handy, but the use of it by European citizens isn’t mandatory.