After the UK, online age verification is landing in the EU 🕵🏻🇪🇺

Five EU countries are set to test an age verification app to protect children online.

Denmark, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy are the first to test the technical solution unveiled by the European Commission on July 14, 2025.

The announcement came less than two weeks before the UK enforced mandatory age verification checks on July 25. These have so far sparked concerns about the privacy and security of British users, fueling a spike in usage amongst the best VPN apps.

As the European Commission explains on its website, the age verification blueprint enables users to prove they are over 18 "without revealing any other personal information."

"It is based on open-source technology and designed to be robust, user-friendly, privacy-preserving, and fully interoperable with future European Digital Identity Wallets," the Commission explains.

The introduction of this technical solution is a key step in implementing children's online safety rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Lawmakers ensure that this solution seeks to set "a new benchmark for privacy protection" in age verification.

That's because online services will only receive proof that the user is 18+, without any personal details attached.

Further work on the integration of zero-knowledge proofs is also ongoing, with the full implementation of mandatory checks in the EU expected to be enforced in 2026.

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https://www.techradar.com/computing/cyber-security/after-the-uk-online-age-verification-is-landing-in-the-eu

Official EU sites:

Joint press release: Commission presents guidelines and age verification app prototype for a safer online space for children
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1820

Commission makes available an age-verification blueprint
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-makes-available-age-verification-blueprint

"UK Online Safety Act takes effect today" (July 24th)
https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/1948488611428540718

Users must verify identity with a third-party and scan their face to access adult content online.

Proposed screen time limits require age verification for video games exceeding two hours.

Non-compliance fines up to £18M or 10% revenue; sites may be blocked.

Access to porn games, niche gaming forums, or non-state-approved content will be restricted.

Platforms like PornHub, Discord, Reddit, and Grindr are compliant.

Ofcom investigates 4chan, which may face Cloudflare block under court order.

Aims to prevent kids from accessing harmful social media content like porn.

Related...

EU is planning a new mass surveillance law that includes mandating data retention, built-in backdoors, sanctioning non-compliant services 🕵🏻🇪🇺

https://similarworlds.com/society/privacy/5323496-EU-is-planning-a-new-mass-surveillance-law-that-includes

The EU wants to decrypt your private data by 2030

https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/the-eu-wants-to-decrypt-your-private-data-by-2030

reinholddoppeldecker · 36-40, M

It's only going to get worse. Unfortunately our data is just too useful for governments and corporations, and they will use any means to get it. The only thing slowing them down are technical limitations and old principles that are slowly eroding. It's certainly easier to argue for virtue, than it is to argue for principles. And few people know or care. Because politics move slowly in democratic countries, the frog doesn't notice how it's getting boiled. The younger generations already don't know a world without surveillance, and the older generations don't understand the technology. The rest is indifferent or cowed into silence.

I'm really blackpilled about the whole thing. The whole world is going to shit and there is no refuge. Sooner or later it's going to spread everywhere. Many other countries already have their own intrusive surveillance and censorship, and more under way.

My only hope is that once we inevitably have chips implanted into our skulls, everyone's dirty secrets will be laid bare for all to see, and there will be no more pretensions of moral high ground. You can't punish or blackmail 90% of the population for thought crimes.

In the meantime, if you're a EU citizen, please go here:
https://fightchatcontrol.eu/
Things have developed in our favor since this site went online. The majority of member states are still on favor of chat control, but that majority has shrunk considerably. Don't get complacent now!

The age verification and various censorship measures have already been decided though, and are coming soon.