Overview
- European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday in Brussels that the EU age-verification app is technically ready and will be available to citizens soon.
- Users set up a PIN or biometric access, prove age with a passport or national eID, and then share only a yes-or-no age check with websites, with no name or birth date stored and a QR code used on desktop logins.
- The Commission plans a new coordination mechanism next month and expects guidance from a panel of psychologists, technicians, and jurists by summer, while countries including France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland prepare wallet integrations.
- Officials tied the rollout to the Digital Services Act, which requires very large platforms to reduce child-safety risks, and said they will press TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and major porn sites to adopt effective checks.
- Real-world limits persist, including simple workarounds like adults lending phones, and one outlet reported a demo flaw that let attackers bypass the PIN by editing a settings file, which sources said was fixed in the final app.