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On Monday, the European Commission will be testing apps aimed at preventing children from accessing harmful content online by checking their users’ age.
Several European countries have stepped up pressure on the bloc to better protect minors online through stricter measures, with some advocating for banning social media under the age of 15.
On Monday, the committee announced a prototype of an ageing app that Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Spain will customize to launch a national version within a few months.
“You can easily prove that users are over 18 years old and protect your child from inappropriate content,” EU technology chief Henna Wilkunen told reporters.
“It’s hard to imagine a world where kids can enter the store to buy alcohol. They’re old enough, guards, no ID checks, simple ‘Yes, I’m over 18’ and simply go to the nightclub,” said Caroline Stage Olsen, the Danish Digital Minister of Digital.
“That has been a fact online for many years,” she added alongside Virkkunen, saying the new app will help ensure that “there are no more nightclubs without bouncers.”
The goal is to develop your own app as each member country has different rules and you may want to adjust the age limits for a variety of services, ranging from porn and gambling sites to social platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok.
For example, France has set a minimum age of 15 to use more than 13 social media set by the platform itself, but there is still an EU green light for these rules to come into effect.
The 27 Country European Union has some of the strictest digital rules in the world where there are, or are not, ongoing research into how platforms protect children.
Once the app is available, users can download it from the online store and use it to access the website or platform using that they are over age.
However, the committee said it will be “further customized” by the EU along with the platform and users themselves.
Stage Olsen said the app can also be used in the real world. For example, customers can use it to prove their age while purchasing alcohol or cigarettes.
“Respect the rights of children”
Among the block’s existing legal weapons is the content moderation law known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), which has strict rules to protect children.
On Monday, the EU published recommendations for online platforms under the DSA, ensuring the safety of children and preventing exposure to dangerous behavior.
These include removing “addictive” features such as “receipts” that individuals convey to users when they see the message, making it easier for minors to block or mute users, and preventing accounts from downloading or taking screenshots of content.
The EU also recommended a platform that turns off notifications by default, especially during sleep, restricting access to app photos or turning off the camera by default.
Greece, backed by France and Spain, pushed in June a proposal on how the EU would limit the use of children’s online platforms.
Politicians are increasingly concerned about online risks as social media and excessive smartphones show risks to the mental and physical health of minors.
Denmark, who served as the six-month EU presidency in July, has shown that the issue is a key priority and will push the bloc to take further action.
©2025 AFP
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