European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described Cyprus as a frontrunner when it comes to the integration of a new digital age verification app.
In a statement describing the new app and how it will function, she said, "France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Ireland are front-runners. They are planning to integrate the app into their national wallets. And I hope more Member States and private sector will follow so that every citizen can soon use the app."
As the European Commission President stated, "It is our duty to protect our children in the online world, just as we do in the offline world. And to do that effectively, we need a harmonised European approach. One core topic is the question: how can we ensure that there is a Europe-wide technical solution for age verification? Today, I can announce that we have the answer. Our European age verification app is technically ready and soon available for citizens to use. This app will allow users to prove their age when accessing online platforms. Just like shops ask for proof of age for people buying alcoholic beverages in a shop."
As von der Leyen continued, "This is not the first time the Commission comes forward with an innovative solution to a new problem. We all remember the COVID pandemic. Our world came to a complete standstill. But as we came out of lockdowns and as vaccines were available, the Commission developed the COVID app in record time – 3 months –, to help bring us back to normal life, in a safe way. With a scan of our COVID certificates, we could go to a concert or board a plane to travel again, etcetera. 78 countries across 4 continents were using this app, so it was as huge success. And now we have taken this success and applied it to the age verification app. It follows the same principles, the same model."
She explained, "First, it is user-friendly. You download the app. You set it up with your passport or ID card. You then prove your age when accessing online services. Second, it respects the highest privacy standards in the world. Users will prove their age without revealing any other personal information. Put simply, it is completely anonymous: users cannot be tracked. Third, the app works on any device – phone, tablet, computer, you name it. And, finally, it is fully open source – everyone can check the code. This means that our partner countries can also use it. This is very important that this can be used by our global partners. But more importantly, online platforms can easily rely on our age verification app. So there are no more excuses."
As the Europeam Commission President pointed out, "This app gives parents, teachers, caretakers a powerful tool to protect children. Because we will have zero tolerance for companies that do not respect our children's rights. And this is why we are moving ahead with full speed and determination on the enforcement of our European rules. We are holding accountable those online platforms that do not protect our kids enough.
The new age verification solution and the enforcement of our rules go hand in hand. Children's rights in the European Union come before commercial interest. And we will make sure they do."
