Austria to Require Age Verification for All Social‑Media Users by 2027

The Austrian coalition government plans to introduce a law that obliges every social‑media user to verify their age at least once. The draft, slated for parliamentary review this autumn, targets platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, while WhatsApp is excluded. Verification would be carried out through the ID Austria system and rely on zero‑knowledge proofs so that platforms receive only a confirmation that the user is old enough, without seeing personal data.

If adopted, the measure would ban access for children under 14 and require existing accounts to be re‑checked when the law takes effect, expected in early 2027. The proposal will be notified to Brussels as part of the EU's digital safety framework.