By announcing its European age verification app, the Commission has reached an operational milestone in the protection of minors online. But behind the technical tool, a political stance is also taking shape, running counter to Parliament’s calls to ban social media for young people. The European Commission is stepping up its efforts on online age verification. President Ursula von der Leyen and Vice-President Henna Virkkunen announced today that a European age and identity verification app is “technically ready” and will soon be made available to citizens and platforms. Presented as a direct response to the requirements of the Digital Services Act (DSA), this app is designed to allow users to prove they are of legal age to access online services without disclosing sensitive personal information. The system…
