The European Commission has announced that the EU digital age verification app is technically ready for deployment and will soon be available to use for EU citizens. This highly anticipated app aims to protect children from harmful and illegal content online. It is user-friendly and can be set up using a passport or ID card, enabling users to prove their age when accessing online services.
The app must be adapted by Member States or other public or private organisations in order to be made available for citizens as a standalone app or in national Digital Identity Wallets. Ireland and other EU Member States, such as France, Germany, Denmark and Spain, are planning on integrating this age verification app into their national Digital Identity Wallets. The app is open-source, meaning that countries outside of the EU can also leverage the application. It is hoped that this app will be widely adopted. Additionally, the app is free of charge and its interoperability allows it to function on various devices. As well as being usable on a phone, users can access the app on their tablets and computers.
Recommendation urging rollout of EU age verification app
On 29 April 2026, the European Commission (the “Commission”) adopted a recommendation urging Member States to accelerate the rollout of the EU age verification app and make it available by the end of the year.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen ( “President von der Leyen”) said: “It is our duty to protect our children in the online world, just as we do in the offline world. And to do that effectively, we need a harmonised European approach. One core topic is the question: how can we ensure that there is a Europe-wide technical solution for age verification? Today, I can announce that we have the answer. Our European age verification app is technically ready and soon available for citizens to use. This app will allow users to prove their age when accessing online platforms. Just like shops ask for proof of age for people buying alcoholic beverages in a shop.”
Special Panel on online safety
As previously discussed (here), online safety children has been a key focus globally, including in Ireland. The announcement of the age verification app coincides with the work of the recently-established Special Panel on child safety online. In 2025, President von der Leyen announced that a panellist of specialists would be commissioned to advise her on the best approach for the EU on child safety online.
In early 2026, the Commission established the Special Panel on child safety online and the first meeting of the Special Panel was held on 5 March 2026. Chaired by Maria Melchior and Jörg M. Fegert, the Special Panel explores key issues affecting online safety for children including topics such as a harmonised EU age limit for social media and educational measures to promote responsible use of social media. The second meeting of the Special Panel was held on 16 April 2026 and focused on how minors in the EU and globally are protected online, and how these measures can be strengthened. This summer, the Special Panel will produce a report on their key findings and recommendations.
European Commission preliminary finding of breach of DSA for failure to prevent minors under 13 from using platform
Earlier this week, we saw the European Commission issue a preliminary finding that a leading technology company was in breach of the DSA for failing to diligently identify, assess, and mitigate the risk of minors under 13 years old accessing their services. Despite the platforms’ terms and conditions setting the minimum age to access their services at 13 years of age, the Commission found that the measures put in place to enforce the restrictions were inadequate. The platforms now have the opportunity to reply in writing to the Commission’s preliminary findings and take measures to remedy the alleged breaches. In announcing their preliminary finding, the Commission highlighted that the new EU age verification app can serve as a reference framework for age verification with a user-friendly and privacy-preserving age verification method.
The European Commission has issued FAQs on the EU age verification app, which are available here. We will continue to monitor the developments in this space and will issue further updates as they become available.
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