From July 1, we will not be able to access popular websites and social media without the EU application “The Age Verification (AV)”. To log in to Facebook or TikTok, we will have to confirm our age.
The EC recently announced that it is working on its own age verification app: “The Age Verifivation”. A pilot version is due to be launched any day now. It will be based on the same technology as the EU's currently developing digital identity wallet, an app that allows citizens to store and manage their official documents online. The app will allow the user's age to be determined while ensuring their privacy, which is currently a major challenge when implementing verification mechanisms.
It will be necessary to access pornography, alcohol and gambling sites, but also social media such as Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Snapchat or even LinkedIn.
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The system, the first version of which was presented in March, is being developed in cooperation between Scytales and T-Systems.
The solution is to more effectively protect minors from harmful content on the Internet. Social media has an age limit of 13 , LinkedIn can be created at 16. In practice, however, it has been difficult to determine the age of the user and prevent, for example, an 8-year-old from accessing YouTube or even pornography.
According to the Gemius report, Poland has almost 30 million internet users, of which over 4 million are minors, half of whom are girls and half boys. Pornhub is used by 1/3 minors . This platform is in seventh place in the TOP10 services used by young people, next to the most popular Tik-Tok, Facebook and Instagram.
After the announcement of the app's introduction, in places online that gather parents (e.g. FB groups or internet forums) one could read comments that could be summed up in one word: Finally!
Adults will be able to confirm their age using the app without having to disclose personal data to online services. You will not provide your data – the app will only confirm that you are an adult. The app will not be mandatory , but without it we will not be able to enter the indicated sites.
While parents of children welcome the announced changes, adults using the Internet are overcome with fear. Firstly, because access to data in a central location can become a tasty morsel for hackers. And what does it mean that one day their presence on pornographic sites will come to light?
The app is intended to be a temporary tool that will eventually replace the digital identity wallet. It is to be a comprehensive tool enabling access to public and private services, storing digital documents and making binding signatures. All EU citizens will be able to use it by the end of 2026 at the latest.
The EC has announced that pornographic platforms will also be able to use the app, but it is their responsibility to verify their age effectively, so they should not wait until the EU app is launched. Currently, users can only access pornographic sites by confirming with a single click that they are over 18.
If pornographic platforms are found to have broken digital rules, the EC can impose fines of up to 6% of their global turnover. Initiating formal proceedings opens the evidence-gathering process and does not prejudge its outcome. Companies can also make formal commitments to address problematic issues.
On this occasion, our government announced that it is also working on implementing regulations that will define patostreams and harmful content on the Internet.
prepared by KWS
