Danish Minister asserts that major tech companies possess capabilities to verify ages of their minor user base.
The European Union is currently working on a standardized, privacy-focused age verification system to create safer online environments for children. This system, currently in a pilot testing phase across key Member States, is aimed at complying with the Digital Services Act's (DSA) protections against harmful content.
Denmark, which recently began chairing meetings of EU ministers, has placed child protection measures high on the agenda during its chairmanship. Digital Minister Caroline Stage Olsen plans to use the presidency to prioritize child protection on the EU policy agenda. Denmark, along with four other EU countries - France, Greece, Italy, and Spain - is actively involved in the development of a customized national age verification application to shield children from harmful content online.
The European Commission's white-label age verification blueprint, released in July 2025, serves as the foundation for this development. This blueprint offers a user-friendly and privacy-preserving method for verifying that users are over 18 when accessing restricted content, such as adult content, without revealing additional personal data.
Key features of the blueprint include its open-source nature, robust technology, separate entities for issuing and presenting proofs, interoperability with the upcoming European Digital Identity Wallets (EUDIW), and customizability by Member States for language, branding, and potentially extended use for other age-restricted activities like alcohol purchase. Further privacy enhancements, such as zero-knowledge proofs, are planned for integration to strengthen privacy assurances.
The Commission launched a pilot phase in late June/July 2025, actively testing and customizing the software in collaboration with the five Member States mentioned above. User testing is being expanded, and private sector players are invited to develop or use the solution.
The blueprint supports Article 28(1) of the DSA, which obligates online platforms accessible to minors to ensure their safety, security, and privacy online. The Commission has also published guidelines on the protection of minors under the DSA, aiming for a harmonized and enforceable approach to child protection online across the EU.
This initiative lays the groundwork for broader deployment of age-appropriate services online throughout the EU, reflecting a shift towards an EU-harmonized approach rather than fragmented national schemes. It is hoped that in the long term, age verification functionalities will be integrated within digital identification tools, European Digital Identity Wallets (eID), which will be rolled-out next year.
Big tech companies are under pressure to implement age verification tools to combat the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). US tech giant Meta has proposed a harmonised age verification and safety standard system for apps and online services to the Commission. The proposed application will allow users to easily prove they are over 18 when accessing restricted adult content online.
The Commission hopes to make the tools mandatory through the planned Digital Fairness Act, rules they will put forward early next year to protect consumers online. The CSAM regulation, proposed in 2022 and currently under debate in the Council of the EU, heavily relies on identifying minors online to shield them from predators.
Caroline Stage Olsen is confident that online platforms will find the necessary funds to work on the tools for protecting children online. She expressed confidence that online platforms will hire some of the brightest technology minds to work on these tools.
Sources: [1] European Commission. (2025). White-label age verification blueprint. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/white-label-age-verification-blueprint_en [2] European Commission. (2025). Guidelines on the protection of minors under the Digital Services Act. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/guidelines-protection-minors-under-digital-services-act_en [3] European Commission. (2025). Press release: EU launches pilot phase for standardized age verification system. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_25_3441 [4] European Commission. (2022). Proposal for a regulation on addressing child sexual abuse material online. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12528-Child-Sexual-Abuse-Material-Online [5] European Commission. (2021). Proposal for a regulation on a single market for digital services. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12436-Digital-Services-Act
- As Denmark chairs EU meetings, the focus on child protection measures intensifies, with Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain actively collaborating on a national age verification application in the realm of business, harnessing technology for a safer digital environment for children.
- The European Commission's Digital Services Act (DSA) protections have prompted the development of a user-friendly, privacy-preserving age verification system in the finance sector, with the goal of ensuring compliance with age restrictions on harmful content, setting the stage for harmonized age-appropriate services across the EU.
