The European Commission has requested information from Snapchat, YouTube, the Apple App Store, and Google Play on how they verify users’ ages and protect minors online, in line with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The Commission said the platforms must explain their age-assurance systems and their methods for keeping minors away from illegal products and harmful materials.
Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty Henna Virkkunen stated:
We will do what it takes to ensure the physical and mental well-being of children and teens online. It starts with online platforms. Platforms have the obligation to ensure minors are safe on their services—be it through measures included in the guidelines on protection of minors, or equally efficient measures of their own choosing.”
Although the goal sounds noble, the reasoning behind the move may be reaching far beyond the protection of minors.
Age verification is a quick way to limit information reaching minors and learning about the world in an open and unrestricted way. A ban on reaching certain apps or websites forces a narrative onto them, without a place for them to follow and engage in healthy debate and form their own political thought.
The controversial DSA obliges major online services to assess and mitigate systemic risks, including those affecting children, and to prevent illegal or harmful content. What is considered harmful will be decided by the ones who can control the political narrative.
Several EU countries have already proposed tougher national restrictions on youth access to social media. France has already required digital platforms to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for those under 15; Spain has introduced a bill to raise the minimum age for social media use to 16; and just this week, Denmark announced a planned ban on social media for users under 15. Supporters say such steps are necessary to reduce the psychological risks of early exposure to online content, but critics warn they could restrict young people’s freedom to explore ideas and engage in public debate.
The Commission says it will continue coordinating with national authorities to ensure that age-protection guidelines are effectively enforced. “To ensure effective enforcement of the Guidelines on protection of minors across all platforms, large and small, the Commission is taking further actions with the national authorities to identify platforms posing the greatest risk for children,” it said.
The introduction of these projects by the Commission is also suspiciously coincidental with polls showing that young voters are increasingly turning to right-wing parties. Spain, Italy, France, and Germany all saw their conservative parties gaining momentum, partially thanks to young voters disillusioned by the current establishment.
