Overview
- The EU will require Android apps to pass Google’s Play Integrity API for age checks, effectively banning sideloaded and non–Play Store applications.
- Built on the EU’s Digital Identity Wallet blueprint, the white-label app uses anonymous credentials, zero-knowledge proofs and data minimization to preserve privacy.
- Officials say the tool will perform a one-time age authentication without monitoring user activity or collecting data after verification.
- Privacy advocates and open-source groups argue that reliance on Google’s proprietary infrastructure undermines Europe’s digital sovereignty and excludes alternative app ecosystems.
- Pilot tests are slated this year in five member states with mandatory EU-wide adoption expected by late 2026.