The EU Commission is demanding a plan from the countries to implement digital age checks. The Commission has “clear expectations of the member states” to advance the development of age verification solutions, said Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, responsible for digital affairs, on Wednesday in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
“Effective and privacy-friendly age verification is the next piece of the puzzle that we are getting closer to solving,” said Virkkunen. The goal is to ensure the safety of children and empower them to use digital services positively and responsibly without infringing on the rights of adults.
Technical specifications
In a recommendation to the member states, the Commission expects, among other things, that age verification solutions will not transmit the actual age to the requesting party, but will only indicate whether their criteria are “met” or “not met”. Furthermore, the Commission sets out further technical specifications.
If these standards are not met, confidence in the solutions could suffer, Brussels fears: It is “essential that only reputable and strictly vetted providers – who fully meet the high standards set in the EU system – are entrusted with the responsibility of providing these services for minors,” the recommendation states, among other things.
Mini-wallet or EUDI wallet
After the EU Commission presented a technical reference framework, also known as the “Mini-wallet”, member states are now to clarify whether they will adopt it or work with a solution within the framework of the so-called EUDI wallet.
This is to be available throughout the European Union at the beginning of next year – in Germany, it should be usable on January 2, 2027, as Federal Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) repeatedly emphasizes.
For this reason, both the Digital Ministry and the Family Ministry, which is responsible for child and youth protection in the digital space, are opting for a solution within the framework of the EUDI wallet. Nothing has changed in this regard today, according to a query to the ministries.
(wpl)
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It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.
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