“There are no more excuses”

We have been seeing for some time how Europe is trying to close one of the most uncomfortable cracks on the internet: the ease with which a minor can bypass age controls that, in many cases, barely go beyond a box or a click. The discussion was not newand in recent months the European Commission had already focused on the platforms and the need to have a more solid solution. Now has presented an age verification tool to start translating that idea into real life.

The advertisement. What Brussels puts on the table is not just an app in the strict sense, but a base age verification model linked to the future European Digital Wallet. This nuance matters because it helps to tell the novelty better: we are talking about a real technological solution, open source and ready to be adopted by the Member States or, as the case may be, to work individually.

How will it reach the user? The experience that Von der Leyen describes is quite direct: “You download the application. You configure it with your passport or your ID. You then prove your age when accessing online services.” This sequence makes it clear that there will be an application on the user’s mobile phone, but not necessarily a single “Europe app” that is identical for everyone.

What it promises. Beyond the scope of use, the Commission supports the announcement on several very specific promises.

• Ease, because it presents the tool as something easy to put into operation.
• Privacy, by ensuring that the user will be able to prove their age without exposing more personal data than necessary.
• Compatibility, because it will work on mobile, tablet and computer.
• Open source, a feature with which Brussels wants to emphasize that anyone will be able to review how it is built.

The message. The most forceful phrase of the speech comes when the president of the Commission connects this tool with the responsibility of the platforms. “So there are no more excuses,” saysbefore adding that “Europe offers a free, easy-to-use solution that can protect our children from harmful and illegal content.” The underlying message is quite clear: if the EU already puts a specific way to verify age on the table, Brussels understands that companies will have less room to justify the lack of effective measures. That is why it ends with another equally explicit warning: there will be “zero tolerance” with companies that do not respect the rights of minors or protect them sufficiently.

The countries that are ahead. Von der Leyen expressly cites Spain, France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Ireland as the States leading this phase. As he explains, all of them plan to integrate the tool into their national digital wallets, an important detail because it helps to understand that the next step is not just to have the technology, but to fit it into systems that citizens can then use.

The challenge. The fact that the EU already has this solution does not mean, by itself, that the problem of age verification on the internet will be solved today. What does change is that Brussels can say that there is already a concrete tool on the table and demand that platforms and States take the next step.

What’s coming. So several questions remain open, from its actual adoption to its effective integration in each country and its daily operation on social networks and other online services. On paper, that is the piece with which the EU wants to leave behind simple self-declaration and start building a much more serious age verification.

Images | Berke Citak | Pascal Bullan

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