The European Commission has announced that the age verification app is now technically ready. The app is part of the EU's broader effort to protect minors online and provides a way to verify age without revealing the user's identity.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and executive vice president Henna Virkkunen provided more information about the app today. The app was first heard about last summer. In a few countries, testing of the first version of the app had already begun last year.
The app is a direct response to the requirements of the Digital Services Act (DSA). In recent months, the Commission has tightened its grip especially on large adult entertainment websites and social media platforms, such as TikTok and Meta, accusing them of insufficient age verification and addictive design.
One of the app's key technical features is the so-called zero-knowledge proof. According to Virkkunen, this means that the user retains full control over their data.
The app only transmits information to the service about whether the user is over 18 years old. The service provider therefore does not receive the user's name, date of birth, or other identifying information. The user also cannot be tracked across different websites.
The app's transparency is enhanced by being open source, which allows for independent code review.
Ursula von der Leyen compared the new age verification solution to the COVID certificate app developed during the pandemic, which was developed in record time and widely used in several different countries.
The age verification app is already in use or coming into use in seven "leading countries": France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland. These countries plan to integrate the solution as part of their national digital wallets or release it as a separate app.
In Finland, the project has progressed in close cooperation with authorities. The Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman already confirmed earlier to AfterDawn that an age verification solution is also coming to Finland.
By the end of 2026, Finland will introduce an official European digital identity wallet and the age verification will be one of the wallet's key features alongside the digital ID card.
The app is a direct response to the requirements of the Digital Services Act (DSA). In recent months, the Commission has tightened its grip especially on large adult entertainment websites and social media platforms, such as TikTok and Meta, accusing them of insufficient age verification and addictive design.
One of the app's key technical features is the so-called zero-knowledge proof. According to Virkkunen, this means that the user retains full control over their data.
The app only transmits information to the service about whether the user is over 18 years old. The service provider therefore does not receive the user's name, date of birth, or other identifying information. The user also cannot be tracked across different websites.
The app's transparency is enhanced by being open source, which allows for independent code review.
Ursula von der Leyen compared the new age verification solution to the COVID certificate app developed during the pandemic, which was developed in record time and widely used in several different countries.
The age verification app is already in use or coming into use in seven "leading countries": France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland. These countries plan to integrate the solution as part of their national digital wallets or release it as a separate app.
In Finland, the project has progressed in close cooperation with authorities. The Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman already confirmed earlier to AfterDawn that an age verification solution is also coming to Finland.
By the end of 2026, Finland will introduce an official European digital identity wallet and the age verification will be one of the wallet's key features alongside the digital ID card.
