EU age verification project faces technical and social scrutiny

The European Commission is developing a unified application to verify user age for online services, aiming to prevent minors from accessing adult content. A key technical requirement for this project is hardware-bound attestation, a mechanism similar to Google’s Play Integrity API or Apple’s App Attest. This method verifies that an application is running on a non-cracked, manufacturer-certified device and operating system.

This technical approach has raised concerns within the open-source community. Critics argue that users of Linux phones, custom Android ROMs, or de-googled devices may be excluded from services implementing this EU-mandated verification, as their hardware and software may not meet the manufacturer-certification requirements.

In Slovenia, a survey conducted by the Center for Social Informatics at the University of Ljubljana indicates strong public support for age restrictions on social media. Approximately 83% of parents and guardians support a ban on social media use for children under the age of 15. Most respondents view state-imposed limits as a helpful tool for setting boundaries and protecting children rather than a replacement for parental responsibility.