Overview
- EU leaders announced Wednesday the age-check system is technically ready, with open-source code posted and beta tests run in France, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Italy, Cyprus and Ireland.
- After the code went live, independent developers reported weaknesses and the Commission said it took immediate steps and would push an updated build, including fixes for a bug that let users switch off biometric checks and tamper with data stored on the device.
- The app works by a one-time setup with an ID such as a passport or national card and then stores only the birth date or an age band on the phone so websites get a simple yes-or-no answer without names or browsing data.
- The design mirrors the EU’s COVID certificate model and uses cryptographic proofs that confirm a user meets an age threshold without exposing identity details, which the Commission calls a privacy safe standard.
- Use is voluntary for countries and platforms, yet Brussels frames it as the DSA “gold standard,” while officials admit limits like kids using a parent’s device or VPNs, and EU expert groups plan summer recommendations on social-media age limits that could shape national rollouts and daily access rules for families and teens.