EU Commission unveils new fuidelines and age verification App prototype to protect children online
The guidelines on the protection of minors were developed through a comprehensive process, including research, feedback gathered through a call for evidence, stakeholder workshops held in October 2024 and June 2025, engagement with experts and a targeted public consultation.
On 14 July 2025, the European Commission published new guidelines aimed at improving the safety of minors on online platforms, accompanied by the release of a prototype for a privacy-conscious age verification app. These developments are part of the broader implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and reflect growing concern over the digital well-being of children and young people in the EU.
The guidelines address several key risk areas that children encounter online. These include exposure to addictive design features (such as message streaks and read receipts), cyberbullying, unwanted contact from strangers, and algorithmic promotion of harmful content. The recommendations aim to enhance the default safety settings of digital platforms, including by setting minors’ profiles to private by default, preventing the downloading or screenshotting of minors’ content, and empowering young users to block or mute others. The guidelines adopt a risk-based approach, requiring platforms to tailor protections according to their specific services, size, and user base, while ensuring these measures do not disproportionately restrict children’s rights.
In parallel, the Commission introduced a prototype for a secure age verification app. The tool allows users to prove they are above a certain age—such as 18—without disclosing their identity or exact age. The verification system is designed to prevent profiling or tracking and aligns with the privacy standards underpinning the forthcoming European Digital Identity Wallet (eID). The app will undergo testing and customisation with several member states, including Denmark, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy, and may eventually be deployed as a stand-alone tool or integrated into national digital identity systems.
The development of both the guidelines and the app followed extensive consultations with young people, experts, civil society organisations, and Member State authorities. The age verification solution builds on the same technical foundations as the eID initiative, promoting interoperability and future integration. These actions also reinforce ongoing EU efforts through the Better Internet for Kids Strategy, the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, and anticipated initiatives such as the Digital Fairness Act.
