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EU Age-Verification App Cracked in Minutes, Exposing Basic Security Flaws

Rapid bypasses expose doubts about the EU’s privacy‑preserving age checks.

Overview

  • Security consultants said they defeated the app in under two minutes by editing local files that store the PIN, a rate‑limit counter, and a switch for biometrics.
  • Researchers reported that passport and selfie images used for setup were left unencrypted on the phone, raising theft and misuse risks.
  • Analysts warned the design allows relay attacks that let a remote device vouch for age, which proves someone is adult without linking to the person at the keyboard.
  • The European Commission called the published build a demo and said issues were fixed or will be fixed, while declining to set a public launch date.
  • Privacy groups and more than 400 researchers had urged caution, saying age checks tied to IDs can create new targets for hackers and pressure platforms into brittle compliance.