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What is the age verification solution?
The European Commission’s age verification solution is a user-friendly way to prove your age online without compromising your browsing privacy.
It should first be adapted by Member States or other public or private organisations in order to be made available for citizens as a standalone app or in national European Digital Identity Wallets.
How does the EU age verification app work?
The technical solution for an EU age verification app is privacy-preserving, open source and user-friendly.
First, the user downloads the app onto their phone and sets it up by certifying their age.
This can be done with a biometric passport/ID card, a national eID (e.g. national ID Card or other electronic identification mean), a pre-installed third-party app (e.g. a banking app), or in person (e.g. at the post office). Only the information confirming that the user is over the age will be saved in the app. No name, no birthday, or any other data is saved.
After completing this step, the communication between the app and the provider certifying the user’s age (e.g. eID, third-party app) ends. No further data is exchanged.
The app is then ready to be used online. When an online platform asks to verify the user’s age, the user can use the app to communicate they are over a certain age (e.g. ‘Age over 18’: true) to the platform.
A video showing how the app works is available on the dedicated page for the EU Age verification.
Will there be one EU app?
The European Commission presented the technical solution for the EU age verification app.
The open-source, fully privacy-preserving and user-friendly solution is available to Member States and to private companies who want to produce an app.
The Commission is working with Member States to turn the solution into national apps or to integrate it into existing national ID apps. The Member States would provide the app for their citizens, but the technology would be the same for each app.
The EU age verification app can also be provided by private companies.
Users in the EU would be able to choose from the different apps available.
The Commission will publish a list of trustworthy age verification apps on its website.
When will the app be available?
The timeline is subject to Member States being ready to deploy the app.
The expectation is that the solution will be available across the EU by the end of 2026. The European Commission is working with 7 frontrunners (Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain) who we hope to see sharing the app with their citizens soon.
The Commission also encourages others to provide solutions based on the EU Age Verification solution.
What benefits does this bring to citizens?
Once rolled out, the age verification solution will be a way for online platforms to verify the age of their users when they are legally required to do so.
This means parents have another tool at their disposal to ensure their children do not have access to pornography, gambling, or sites selling alcohol.
At the same time, users who are above the age limit can continue to access legally age restricted online content in full privacy or benefit from age related discounts or offers (e.g. public transportation or museum entrance discounts for retirees).
How will you ensure Member States use the solution?
The Commission has adopted a recommendation to ensure that all Europeans have access to a secure and privacy-preserving age verification method.
It lays down actions for Member States to take, including making use of the EU Age Verification solution, drawing up implementation plans, and ensuring compliance with cybersecurity standards.
Is my data safe?
In short, yes.
The app is based on state of the art zero-knowledge proof technology. The user’s data is not shared with the online platform requesting the age verification. The app only provides the platform with an answer to the question of whether the user is over a certain age.
On the one hand, an online platform doesn’t know the user’s identity and has no data about the user.
On the other hand, the different transactions by the same user are not linked. The app has no trace of the websites the user visited.
Zero-knowledge proof is a golden standard in privacy protection ensuring that users data is safe and tracking is prevented.
Will an eID provider or a third-party app that provides proof of the user’s age be able to track the user’s online activity?
The source which the user relied upon to prove their age, for example electronic identification means or a third-party one like a banking app, cannot track the user’s online activity.
Once the user has proven their age, the communication between the app providing the proof and the age verification app stops. No further data is exchanged, and no information is retained.
Can the age verification app be bypassed?
While it may be technically possible to circumvent age verification techniques, for example by using a VPN, this does not undermine the value of the app. It will serve as an important barrier to significantly reduce exposure to online risks to minors, in particular easy access to harmful services or content.
This is the same as in offline use cases where age restrictions are not 100% effective, but this does not diminish their importance or legitimacy, such as for the sale of alcohol in a shop to minors.
How do I know if an app is an official version or a scam?
The European Commission will work with Apple, Google and other app stores to whitelist only official versions of the AV app and flag/take down imposters.
Furthermore, the Commission will maintain a list of EU trusted age verification solutions, which will contain only those solutions that have been validated to meet the requirements of the EU Age Verification Scheme.
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Eiropas Komisijas pieeja vecuma pārbaudei ir vērsta uz to, lai kopā ar dalībvalstīm izstrādātu lietotājdraudzīgus un privātumu aizsargājošus risinājumus.