A wave of national bans is pushing the EU toward a continent-wide age limit. The European Commission says the enforcement technology is already in place. Watch the video.
Governments across Europe are racing to block children under 15 from social media. France has already passed its ban. Denmark has struck a political deal. Spain is weighing a tougher under-16 threshold. Greece, set to enforce its own ban from 2027, is now pressuring Brussels for a unified European approach.
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The pressure is working. On April 15th, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told platforms there were "no more excuses" for not protecting children online and announced that the EU's own age-verification app is technically ready for rollout.
The app requires users to verify their age with official documents or digital IDs. It then issues a confirmation using zero-knowledge proofs, giving platforms proof of age without exposing personal data. The code is open source, built to plug into national digital wallets, and ready for TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.
All four platforms are already under EU investigation for failing to protect minors. The Commission’s child safety panel will deliver its verdict this summer.