The initiative is part of the Brussels strategy to counter the risks linked to the presence of minors on social and adult content sites
The EU Commission will launch a new app to check the age of users online in July to strengthen child protection on social media. "The protection of minors is a priority for us," said Vice-President for Digital, Henna Virkkunen, in an interview with the Financial Times, ensuring "more action" against platforms that do not put in place the required safeguards. The app - which anticipates the digital identity portfolio planned for the end of 2026 - can be implemented by EU countries and used by platforms to check whether the user is over 18 without having to reveal any further information about their identity, in respect of privacy.
The Brussels Strategy
The initiative is part of a broader Brussels strategy to counter the risks linked to the presence of minors on social and adult content sites, which are already under investigation: the European Commission launched investigations into Meta and TikTok and launched an enquiry into four pornographic platforms (Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos) earlier this week, concerned about deficiencies in age verification systems and protection mechanisms.
Several European countries are pushing for an additional EU-wide minimum age for access to social media. It would be "difficult" to agree on an age limit, given the different services and cultural realities among the Twenty-Seven, Virkkunen explained to the City newspaper, arguing that it would instead be better to rely on operators to "assess and mitigate the risks they pose" with the design of their platforms. Finally, the EU Commission's digital transition manager assured that, despite transatlantic tensions over digital regulation, the protection of minors is an area on which Washington and Brussels agree.
The request of Greece, France and Spain
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Greece, France and Spain are calling for drastic EU measures on children's use of social media. The digital world must "remain a place that offers endless opportunities" and "not a threat to the health and well-being of our minors", they say in a non-paper. Among other things, they call for "mandatory and integrated age verification solutions and parental control software for all Internet-enabled devices available on the European market" and the introduction of a "European Digital Majority Age for access to online social networks". News of the document was anticipated by Avvenire in recent days.
The Three Pillars
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The document comes just days before the competent ministers of the Twenty-Seven are due to meet at the EU Telecommunications Council on 6 June. Spain, France and Greece propose concrete measures to tackle the dangers linked to the use of online platforms by minors, focusing on three pillars: age verification (with integrated verification solutions and parental control software for all devices with Internet access), age-appropriate design (to reduce persuasive architectures such as pop-ups, profile customisation, autoplay) and a common digital age for accessing social networks at European level.
"Digital modernity has provided us with unprecedented opportunities," say the three countries, acknowledging the benefits of the Internet but also denouncing "a new form of harmful imbalance" to the detriment of the young. Platforms, warn the three signatory ministers, "design environments that capture users' attention and increase exposure to harmful and often addictive content and design".
The paper cites negative effects such as 'anxiety, depression and self-esteem problems' related to the excessive use of devices, which can also 'limit the development of critical skills and weaken human relationships'.
Despite the efforts already made by the EU, with instruments such as the Gdpr and the Digital Services Act (DSA), according to the promoters, 'much remains to be done'.
The experience of the three countries
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Greece, the document recalls, launched a National Strategy against Internet Addiction of Minors, based on three axes: parental awareness, state tools such as 'KidsWallet' and regulatory initiatives. France has required sites with adult content to use 'robust and privacy-friendly age verification mechanisms'. Spain, finally, presented a bill providing for 'mandatory parental controls and digital education programmes', as well as an age verification system.
At the technical level, the EU Commission has launched a pilot project on the 'mini-wallet', to verify the age of users via devices. "We propose to adopt an EU-wide application that supports parental control mechanisms, allows age verification and limits the use of certain apps by minors," it further reads. According to the signatories, the initiative is 'not only a matter of public policy, but an ethical responsibility towards the next generation. We must ensure that the digital world remains a space for growth and creativity, not a threat to the health and well-being of minors'.
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