EU age‑check app and DSA rules
The EU has an open‑source age‑verification app that uses zero‑knowledge proofs so people can prove their age without revealing other identity details, and the Digital Services Act's Guidelines for the Protection of Minors are now published in all EU languages. The app was presented as part of an EU push to curb children's social‑media access, while the DSA guidance spells out age‑appropriate design and privacy‑by‑default safeguards for platforms. ((reuters.com)) (The Next Web) (x.com/safeinternetday)
The European Union says its age-check app is technically ready and will be available soon for citizens to use. (politico.eu) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the rollout on April 15, 2026, alongside tech chief Henna Virkkunen. A senior Commission official said Commission-approved apps should be ready to download in the coming weeks, with national versions due later in 2026. (politico.eu) The app is built as an open-source, mobile age-check tool that can prove a user is over 18 without revealing their name or exact age. The Commission’s blueprint says the proof contains no identity data and is issued for one-time use to reduce tracking across services. (digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu) That design uses a cryptographic method called zero-knowledge proof, which lets someone prove one fact without handing over the rest of their identity record. The Next Web reported the Commission presented the app as part of a wider push to keep minors away from harmful or illegal content online. (thenextweb.com) The app sits alongside the European Union’s Digital Services Act rules for child safety online. The Commission published its guidelines on the protection of minors on July 14, 2025, and says they are available in all 24 official European Union languages. (digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu 1) (digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu 2) Those guidelines apply to online platforms accessible to minors, except micro and small enterprises. The Commission recommends private-by-default accounts for minors, safer recommender systems, easier blocking and muting tools, and default limits on features such as autoplay, push notifications, read receipts, and streaks. (digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu) The same guidance says platforms should stop other accounts from downloading or screenshotting content posted by minors and should add safeguards around artificial-intelligence chatbots. It also says age-assurance methods should be accurate, reliable, non-intrusive, and non-discriminatory. (digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu) The Commission’s age-check blueprint was first released in July 2025 and updated on October 10, 2025. The second version added onboarding with passports and national identity cards, alongside electronic identity systems, and support for the Digital Credentials application programming interface used by newer browsers and operating systems. (digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu) Officials say users will be able to verify age through a passport, a national identity card, or trusted providers such as banks or schools. Politico reported the app has already been tested in France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland. (politico.eu) Civil-liberties groups have warned that age checks can still create privacy and access risks even when they collect less data. The Electronic Frontier Foundation said the Commission’s design includes data-minimization and unlinkability safeguards, but argued in 2025 that age-verification systems still deserve close scrutiny. (eff.org) Von der Leyen tied the new app directly to enforcement, saying platforms now have a ready-made way to check age without storing extra identity data. The Commission’s message is that child-safety rules under the Digital Services Act and the new age-check tool are meant to move together. (politico.eu)
