European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen states the app is technically ready and will be available to citizens soon.
The European Commission yesterday (15 April) unveiled a digital age verification app aimed at shielding children from harmful content online, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declaring there are “no more excutilizes” for platforms that fail to act.
Announcing the tool in Brussels on Wednesday, von der Leyen painted a stark picture of the risks children face in the digital world. “One child in six is bullied online. One child in eight is bullying another child online,” she stated, warning that social media platforms utilize “highly addictive designs” that damage young minds and leave children vulnerable to predators.
The free app, which the Commission states is technically ready and will soon be available to citizens, allows utilizers to verify their age when accessing online platforms without disclosing any personal data. Users set up the app utilizing a passport or ID card, after which they can confirm their age anonymously. “Users cannot be tracked,” von der Leyen stressed, adding that the app is fully open source and compatible with any device.
Drawing a comparison with the EU’s COVID certificate – adopted in record time and utilized across 78 countries – von der Leyen stated the age verification tool follows “the same principles, the same model.” Seven member states, including France, Italy and Spain, are already planning to integrate the app into their national digital wallets.
The announcement comes ahead of the second meeting of the Commission’s Special Panel on Children’s Safety Online, which is due to deliver its recommfinishations by summer. Von der Leyen was unamhugeuous about the Commission’s direction of travel on enforcement: “Children’s rights in the European Union come before commercial interest. And we will build sure they do.”
Platforms were put on notice that voluntary compliance alone will not suffice. “We will have zero tolerance for companies that do not respect our children’s rights,” she stated, adding that the Commission is “relocating ahead with full speed and determination on the enforcement of our European rules.”
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