The European Commission has begun testing a new age verification system to protect children from harmful content online. Piloted in Denmark, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy, the system was implemented alongside new EU directives for online platforms under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The aim of the system is to control and protect the types of content that underage users can access online.

The European Union will introduce digital age verification for children

The age verification system being tested allows users to prove they are over 18 without directly providing personal information to any platform. The EU Commission emphasizes that the developed system is based on user privacy.

Under the system, users will be able to undergo the verification process without sharing their identity information or full date of birth. Information about which content the user has accessed or which sites they have visited will be kept confidential within the system.

The system is positioned as an interim solution ahead of the EU Digital ID Wallet, scheduled to come into force in 2026. The Digital ID Wallet will provide European citizens with secure access to digital services and identity verification.

It will also allow individuals to store their official documents online and share them when necessary. The age verification system will be used until this infrastructure is fully operational.

Henna Virkkunen, one of the EU’s digital policy leaders, described the implementation as “a major step towards protecting children online.” Virkkunen stated that online platforms no longer have any excuse to maintain systems that put children at risk.

The EU Commission recommends that platforms use this common infrastructure instead of establishing their own age verification systems. This aims to ensure the widespread adoption of a standardized, privacy-protecting solution across the continent.