Overview

• The European Commission has begun testing an EU-developed age-verification application in Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Spain.
• The app is designed to block users under the legal age from accessing inappropriate or dangerous online material.
• The initiative builds on France’s digital majority law and Spain’s under-16 social media ban after studies linked excessive social media use to youth anxiety and depression.
• Each participating country will adapt the prototype to create customized national versions within a few months.
• Results from the trials will inform enforcement under the Digital Services Act and shape any EU-wide requirement for mandatory age checks.