The European Union is launching a mobile app to verify age online
The European Union has officially completed the technical development of a special app that will verify users' ages before they access certain websites.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the introduction of the new digital safety tool during a speech in Brussels on April 15, 2026.
The main goal of the initiative is to protect minors from content not intended for children and to create a safe online environment.
According to the head of the European Commission, the new mechanism will work on the principle of checking IDs when purchasing alcohol in brick-and-mortar stores.
“It is our duty to protect our children in the online world just as we do in the offline world. And to do this effectively, we need a harmonized European approach… Today I can announce that we have an answer. Our European age verification app is technically ready and will soon be available for citizens to use,” emphasized Ursula von der Leyen.
The technological foundation of this new tool is based on the experience with COVID certificates, which at the time allowed the EU to quickly restore free movement.
The app operates on a similar model that has already proven effective in 78 countries across four continents.
The process will be as simple as possible: users download the app and enter their passport or ID card information.
Going forward, the service will automatically verify the user’s age when attempting to access online platforms, without disclosing any other personal data.
The developers assure that this digital innovation meets the highest global privacy standards and ensures complete anonymity.
Websites will receive only age verification, while the document holder’s personal information will remain protected.
A number of European countries have already expressed their readiness to roll out this technology on a large scale in the near future.
France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Greece, Cyprus, and Ireland plan to integrate the new application into their national digital wallets as early as this summer.
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