The European Commission has adopted a recommendation designed to enable everyone in the EU to have access to age verification tools based on anonymous proof-of-age technologies, aiming to ensure the highest standards for privacy and data protection. Age verification is part of the Commission’s strategy to protect minors online.
The recommendation discusses actions that the Commission encourages Member States to take up to make sure that EU citizens have access to robust and privacy-protecting age verification services by 31 December 2026. It also sets out an EU-wide approach to governance to enable further availability of these technologies.
Member states will be advised to make use of the EU age verification blueprint, draw up implementation plans, work together and engage with their Digital Services Coordinators and ensure compliance with relevant cybersecurity standards.
The Commission also plans to set up an EU Age Verification scheme, with requirements for providers of proof of age and age verification solutions to meet, and outlining how trust in these providers can be checked by services which need to verify the age of its users. In addition, The Commission will make available a list of age verification solutions that meet privacy and security standards equal to the EU verification blueprint (see below) and other relevant legislation. A list of trusted providers of proof of age attestations will be created and these providers will be able to verify user age through supported mechanisms such as eIDs, passports or ID cards.
In July 2025, the Commission adopted guidelines under the Digital Services Act that outline how platforms should create a safer and better internet for young people. The guidelines recommend use of effective age assurance methods. This includes using age verification methods to restrict access to adult content such as pornography and gambling or when national laws set a minimum age to access particular services. Nearly a quarter (24%) of 14-17 year olds in six EU countries reported seeing pornographic content at least once per week. The Commission has outlined that age verification should rely on physical identifiers such as ID cards and passports to restrict access to adult content online.
The Commission has provided a blueprint allowing users to prove they are over a certain age without disclosing their exact age or identity. The EU solution will only confirm if a user is over a certain age, rather than revealing precise age or any other information about the user.
The European Digital Identity Regulation requires that Member states offer at least one free EU Digital Identity Wallet to its residents by the end of this year. These wallets are designed to ensure secure and user-controlled sharing of identity data including proofs of age.
