EU Age Verification App Near Rollout

The European Commission has announced that its EU-wide age verification app is technically ready and will soon be available for public use. The initiative aims to strengthen the protection of minors online by enabling users to confirm their age through secure, government-approved systems. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the application is designed to meet both child safety and data protection requirements under EU law.

The app allows age verification through three channels: national identity documents, passports, or trusted third parties such as banks and educational institutions. Online platforms will be able to rely on the app without collecting or storing personal data, addressing long-standing compliance concerns under the GDPR and related digital regulations. According to the Commission, this removes common justifications used by platforms to avoid effective age checks.

In the coming weeks, Commission-verified providers will release European-wide versions of the app, followed later this year by national implementations across Member States. Pilot testing has already taken place in several countries, including France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, and Cyprus. The solution is intended to integrate with existing national digital identity wallets, with a structured EU accreditation framework under development.

The rollout forms part of a broader EU strategy to address online risks to children, including mental health harms linked to social media use. The Commission has signaled that enforcement of platform obligations under EU digital law will intensify alongside the app’s deployment. A separate expert panel is currently examining the feasibility of EU-level restrictions on minors’ access to social media, with policy recommendations expected by summer.