As governments begin implementing their own measures to ensure the safety of children online, the need for reliable age verification systems has become apparent. While individual platforms have their own processes, the European Union has proposed its own solution: an age verification app. In fact, said app is already “technically ready” and will soon be available for citizens, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyden.
Touted as a free and “easy to use” solution that works on any device, the app allows users to prove their age when accessing online services. According to the Commission President, the app is set up using a passport or ID card. She went on to claim that the app adheres to the highest privacy standards in the world. As such, no personal information is disclosed. Essentially, it acts as a digital certificate, much like the ones used during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, von der Leyden noted that the app is open source, so partner countries can adopt it. She went on to note that some European Union member states like France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland are already working with the app. Specifically, these countries are planning to integrate it with their national wallets.
Something similar here
For those of us on this side of the pond, this may sound a bit familiar. The Malaysian government has been planning to follow Australia’s example and enact a blanket social media ban for children aged under 16. At the moment, this ban is in the regulatory sandbox phase. Full implementation could begin as soon as June or July this year. Among the proposed methods for age checks include leveraging the MyKad, and perhaps MyDigital ID.
While the identity management platform was not conceived for age verification specifically, the government envisioned it as a “super app” that can be used to access a variety of services. Using it to prove a user’s age for online platforms seems like a logical step. As it stands, the system is already in use for identity verification when using various government apps.
(Source: European Commission [1], [2])