The European online age verification app is now available, offering a privacy-focused solution for users and platforms alike. ## High Expectations The app, compatible with passports and ID cards, is designed to be "completely anonymous" for users and functions across smartphones, tablets, and PCs. It is also open source, encouraging widespread adoption and customization within European privacy standards. **European Commission** president **Ursula von der Leyen** stated, "Europe offers a free and easy-to-use solution that can protect our children from harmful and illegal content." Von der Leyen emphasized the need for a harmonized European approach to protect children online, mirroring offline protections. The app allows users to prove their age through electronic identification or by presenting a passport or ID card. Crucially, the app only stores the fact that a user is over a certain age, without retaining personal information like names, dates of birth, or ID numbers. ## How it Works To access age-restricted content, users scan a QR code (if on a computer) or have the app directly send age verification (if on a smartphone). The platform never gains access to the original identification document. ## Adoption Event While the technical groundwork is complete, the effectiveness of the system hinges on platform adoption and enforcement. Circumvention is still possible (e.g., an adult lending their phone), but the underlying technological framework is now in place. EU member states will decide whether to integrate it into national digital wallets or create independent apps. ## "No More Excuses" The **Digital Services Act (DSA)**, which went into effect in 2024, mandates that very large online platforms (over 45 million monthly EU users) take concrete steps to mitigate systemic risks related to child protection, with significant penalties for non-compliance. **Henna Virkkunen**, European Commission executive vice president, highlighted the DSA's role in holding platforms accountable. Investigations into **TikTok** are underway, with similar actions planned against **Facebook**, **Instagram**, **Snapchat**, and several pornographic sites. Virkkunen stated, "Since the platforms do not have adequate age verification tools, we developed the solution ourselves… there are no more excuses." ## Bare Minimum This European framework establishes general rules, allowing member states to implement more restrictive measures. France, for example, has considered banning social networks for minors under 15, pending compatibility with the DSA and effective age verification systems like the newly released app.