EU Advances Digital Protection for Minors with DSA and EDIW

The European Union is intensifying its efforts to safeguard minors in the digital space, spotlighting the Digital Services Act (DSA) and European Digital Identity Wallets (EDIW). An unreleased document reveals the EU’s commitment to ensuring a high level of privacy, safety, and security for all users, with a particular emphasis on protecting younger audiences. This initiative mandates clear guidelines for online platforms, incorporating digital identity and age verification tools to uphold these standards.

In addition to focusing on individual protections, the EU seeks to standardize technical standards across member states for online age verification. This endeavor is supported by the functionalities provided by the European digital wallets, aiming for a harmonized approach to digital identity across the continent. The European Commission is actively enforcing the DSA, particularly in its regulation of content on large online platforms, which recently included inquiries into the use of generative AI by major tech companies.

November 2023 marked a significant milestone with European legislators agreeing on the regulation to introduce digital identity wallets. This initiative is part of a broader effort to digitize public services by 2023, offering EU citizens and businesses a digital means to store and exchange government information securely.

Meanwhile, the Belgian presidency of the EU Council is advocating for a focus on the role of member states’ authorities in detecting and removing online child sexual abuse material. Despite reaching an agreement on the draft law among the main political groups of the EU Parliament last October, progress has been stalled within the Council. The status of the document, whether final or preliminary, remains uncertain as the EU continues to navigate the complexities of digital law enforcement.

Source: Unreleased document: DSA, identity wallets take spotlight on protection of minors online