EU to release app to verify online users' age in July 2025

The European Union will launch a new age-verification app in July that will allow users to keep their personal data private when interacting with platforms. According to the Financial Times, the app will be an interim tool until the introduction of a digital identity wallet, planned for 2026.

While the EU has not yet introduced any law requiring mandatory age verification for online platforms, the bloc has imposed legal obligations on sites that cater to underage users or contain pornographic or harmful content. The new annex will allow the EU to take a tougher approach to platforms that do not do enough to assess and manage risks.

"The protection of minors is a very important priority for us, and we will take more action here. It would also from the platform’s perspective be very good if they would create a kind of design with a very high level of security, privacy and safety for minors," Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s chief technology officer, told the FT in a comment.

Virkkunen said she expects more efforts from the big social media companies, and she called on tech companies to voluntarily take strong measures to protect children, rather than waiting for the government to step in.

European countries have previously proposed a "digital age of majority" for social media and other online platforms. However, Virkkunen believes that agreeing on a single age will be difficult, given the different services and cultures. Instead, she suggests relying on companies to "assess and mitigate the risks they create" through the design of their platforms.

In addition, the European Union previously opened an investigation into pornographic websites, including Pornhub, for not doing enough to restrict access to their content by underage users.

Similar initiatives are underway in other regions. In particular, in Australia, a bill was passed in late 2024 that would ban teenagers under 16 from using social media. In Texas, USA, a law was also signed banning social media for minors, which will come into effect on January 1, 2026.