France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, and Greece will begin testing a new age verification system designed to limit children’s access to harmful online content. The pilot is part of a broader EU initiative to enforce the Digital Services Act (DSA), which holds major tech platforms accountable for how they treat younger users.
Each country can adapt the tool to fit national requirements, either by integrating it into existing digital ID apps or launching it as a separate platform. The system uses the same technical framework as the upcoming European Digital Identity Wallet, due to launch across the EU in 2025. The goal is to create a reliable, privacy-preserving method of verifying age without collecting excessive personal data.
The program comes as regulators grow increasingly critical of how companies like Apple, Meta, and TikTok handle child safety. Under the DSA, 19 major platforms are legally required to prevent children from being exposed to harmful content, addictive design, and online harassment. Failure to comply could lead to serious legal and financial consequences.
Commission Steps Up Enforcement Against Tech Giants
In addition to the pilot program, the European Commission released new guidelines aimed at helping platforms meet their obligations under the DSA. The rules focus on four areas: harmful content, addictive interface design, cyberbullying, and unwanted contact from strangers.
“Platforms have no excuse to be continuing practices that put children at risk,” said EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen. Her statement signals a more aggressive stance by the Commission and a shift away from relying on platforms’ voluntary efforts.
According to Reuters, the pilot program’s design serves as a reference model that other EU countries can adopt. Its connection to the Digital Identity Wallet may also help standardize age verification across the bloc.
Apple Caught in the Crossfire of Global Age Verification Push
Apple has recently introduced new child safety features in an effort to stay ahead of regulation. These updates aim to give parents more control over their children’s online experiences and reduce exposure to inappropriate content. But the EU’s coordinated action suggests that individual platform fixes are no longer enough.
Lawmakers in the U.S. are following a similar path. Several states have passed laws requiring platforms to block access for underage users or obtain parental consent. In some cases, app stores are now being treated as gatekeepers and may be forced to verify age before allowing downloads.
Australia banned children under 16 from social media altogether, a clear sign that governments are no longer waiting for platforms to act.
Back in Europe, enforcement is already underway. The European Commission is investigating Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and several adult content sites for potential DSA violations.
Apple has tried to position itself as a champion of privacy, but its actions tell a more complicated story. In May, CEO Tim Cook personally lobbied Texas Governor Greg Abbott to kill a bill that would have required app stores to verify users’ ages. The bill, SB 2420, had already passed both chambers with veto-proof majorities. Apple’s argument? That confirming a user’s age, especially for minors posed a threat to privacy and could lead to censorship. Several former Trump administration officials even joined the push against it.
But here’s the contradiction: while Apple claims to protect children on its platforms, it resists laws that would give parents more control over what kids can download. Under the Texas bill, minors’ accounts would be linked to their parents’, who would approve or deny app downloads. Instead of embracing that as a safety net, Apple called the policy government overreach. It wants credit for protecting kids without giving up control, without oversight, and without letting parents in.
