EU launches age verification system to protect children

European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen announced that a new age verification application aimed at protecting children online is ready for use by member states.

In a written statement, Virkkunen said that the application, announced on April 15, can now be integrated into national systems and put into use following the completion of technical work, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

She also noted that the Commission has adopted a recommendation for member states, aiming to rapidly expand the use of age verification tools and establish common standards for secure and privacy-friendly solutions.

Within this framework, an “Age Verification Program” will be launched. Virkkunen stated that criteria will be defined for providers offering age verification services, and companies that meet these criteria will be listed.

Meanwhile, Virkkunen said that preliminary findings indicate that Meta Platforms’s platforms Instagram and Facebook may be violating obligations related to child protection.

She noted that children can easily bypass age restrictions by entering false birth dates when creating accounts, and that current monitoring mechanisms are insufficient.

Virkkunen added that around 12% of children under the age of 13 in the EU use Instagram or Facebook, exposing them to risks such as cyberbullying, exploitation, and age-inappropriate content.

Following the announcement of the EU system, some media reports and expert opinions suggested that the system could be bypassed “within two minutes” and may contain security vulnerabilities.

Photo: META