EU says age-check app 'ready' in push to protect children online

The European Commission announces a new age-verification application, marking a major step in its push for stricter online child protection. | Contesto: cronaca

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• EU says age-check app 'ready' in push to protect children online

Contesto

The European Commission announced on Wednesday that a new, EU-wide application designed to verify a user's age online is now technically ready for deployment. The announcement, made in Brussels, represents a concrete step toward implementing the bloc's landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates stricter protections for minors across digital platforms. While not yet mandatory, the app is positioned as a key tool for platforms to comply with their legal obligations to shield children from harmful content and targeted advertising. The development comes after sustained pressure on EU institutions from child safety advocates, parent groups, and lawmakers to translate the DSA's broad principles into tangible, user-friendly tools. Critics have long argued that the existing patchwork of national measures and inconsistent platform policies has left significant gaps in the digital safety net for young Europeans. The Commission's move is a direct response to calls for a harmonized, privacy-conscious solution that can work across the 27 member states, aiming to replace fragmented and often intrusive verification methods with a standardized approach. According to officials, the application is designed to allow users to prove they are over a certain age—typically 18—without disclosing their exact birth date or other personal identity documents to every website or service they visit. The system is intended to function through a local verification on a user's device, generating a secure confirmation that can be presented to online platforms. This architecture is central to the Commission's claim that the tool prioritizes data minimization and user privacy, addressing significant concerns that age verification could lead to the mass collection of sensitive personal information or create new surveillance risks. The technical readiness of the app is just the first phase of a complex rollout. Its ultimate effectiveness hinges on widespread voluntary adoption by major online platforms, including social media networks, adult content sites, and online gaming services. The Commission is expected to engage in an intensive period of dialogue with industry stakeholders to...

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Categoria: cronaca