France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, and Greece will pilot a new age verification app designed to protect children online, the European Commission announced Monday. The initiative comes amid growing international concern over the impact of social media on children’s mental health.
The new system is based on the same technical infrastructure as the upcoming European Digital Identity Wallet, expected to roll out next year. Each participating country can tailor the app to its own national needs, either integrating it into an existing app or developing a standalone version.
In addition to the pilot project, the EU executive also issued new guidelines for online platforms to enhance the protection of minors as part of their obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This landmark legislation, in effect since last year, mandates that major platforms like Google, Meta, TikTok, and others take stronger action against harmful and illegal content.
Currently, platforms including Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and several adult content websites are under investigation by EU regulators over possible non-compliance with the DSA.
The newly published guidelines urge platforms to address issues such as addictive design features, cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, and unwanted interactions with strangers.
“Platforms have no excuse to be continuing practices that put children at risk,” said EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen in a statement.
The announcement follows a global wave of scrutiny. In the U.S., dozens of states have launched lawsuits against Meta over its platforms’ effects on youth, while Australia introduced a ban last year preventing children under 16 from using social media.
