EU Age Verification App “Ready” as Ireland Named Among Front-Runner Countries

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that the European age verification app is "technically ready and soon available for citizens to use," with Ireland named among a group of front-runner countries planning to integrate it into their national digital wallets.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels on 15 April alongside Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, the Commission President said it was the duty of EU institutions to protect children online, just as they are protected in the offline world.

"It is for parents to raise their children and not for platforms," she said.

The app will allow users to prove their age when accessing online platforms, in much the same way that shops ask for proof of age when selling alcohol. Von der Leyen said the app follows the same model as the EU's COVID certificate app, which was developed in three months during the pandemic and was used by 78 countries across four continents.

She outlined four key features of the new app. It is user-friendly, requiring users to download it and set it up using a passport or ID card. It meets what she described as "the highest privacy standards in the world," with users proving their age without revealing any other personal information. The app works across all devices, including phones, tablets, and computers. It is also fully open source, meaning anyone can inspect the code, and partner countries outside the EU can adopt it.

"There are no more excuses," von der Leyen said. "Europe offers a free and easy to use solution that can shield our children from harmful and illegal content."

Ireland among the front runners

The Commission President named France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland as front-runner countries planning to integrate the app into their national wallets. She expressed hope that more member states and private sector companies would follow.

Ireland is set to assume the EU Council presidency in July 2026 and has placed child online safety at the centre of its agenda. Communications Minister Patrick O'Donovan has previously confirmed plans to roll out a Government Digital Wallet based on the MyGovID system, which would be used for age verification on social media and age-restricted online content.

Background

Von der Leyen said the situation regarding children's online safety was "extremely worrying," citing statistics showing one child in six is bullied online and one child in eight is bullying another child online. She pointed to addictive platform designs, including infinite scrolling, short videos, and highly personalised content, as contributing factors.

She confirmed that a Special Panel on children's safety online, first convened a month ago, would hold its second meeting tomorrow and deliver its recommendations by summer.

"We will have zero tolerance for companies that do not respect our children's rights," she said. "Children's rights in the European Union come before commercial interest."

The EU's Digital Identity Wallets, with which the age verification app is designed to integrate, are scheduled for mandatory rollout across all 27 member states by the end of 2026.