Instagram and TikTok: EU announces age verification app

“It is our duty to protect our children online as well as offline. To ensure this effectively, we need a harmonized European approach,” continued the Commission President. According to the Commission, the app works as follows: it is downloaded, set up with the passport or ID card and then serves as proof of age when accessing online services. That should Data protection guarantee and do not make it necessary to pass on personal data.

Many EU countries have age limits

Numerous EU countries such as Austria, Spain, France, Denmark and Greece already have a national one Age limit for Instagram, TikTok or YouTube introduced or are considering these. The Commission has always emphasized that enforcing additional obligations for online platforms is the responsibility of Brussels. According to the EU digital services law, the Digital Services Act (DSA), minors and their safety, privacy and private data already need special protection online.

According to the DSA, online platforms must set up age verification tools to ensure compliance with laws – be they European or national. The app is intended to be the suitable instrument for platforms to be able to implement relevant laws. The Brussels authority had already published a prototype of an age verification app. The app is already being tested in various member states, Austria is not among them.

Age limit until the end of 2026

The DSA has been in force for two years and is intended to force online companies to take greater action against illegal and inflammatory content online. Even stricter requirements apply to companies that the EU Commission describes as particularly large online platforms, for example Google, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram oder X. There has been pressure to introduce an age limit across the EU for a long time: in November, the European Parliament called for a minimum age of 13 for the use of social media and AI friends. The Commission should set a corresponding age limit by the end of 2026.