Last Friday, October 10th, digital ministers quietly agreed to the so-called Jutland Declaration, a non-binding political statement adopted during a meeting in Horsens, Denmark, under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Officially titled ’The Jutland Declaration: Shaping a Safe Online World for Minors,’ the document calls for stronger protections for children online. In practice, it opens the door to EU-wide age verification that would require everyone, not just minors, to prove their identity before accessing platforms like YouTube, Snapchat or Telegram.
The declaration builds on the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which already compels major online platforms to tackle illegal content and increase transparency about how they moderate information. Ministers now argue that these existing rules are insufficient, insisting that minors are “increasingly at risk of being exposed to illegal, harmful, and extremist content” and therefore require “stronger and more targeted protection.”
Supporters of the declaration argue that “effective age verification” could mitigate the harm caused by exposure to illegal or age-inappropriate content. “In the offline world, age checks are standard for age-restricted goods and services. So, it is reasonable to expect similar safeguards online, where the risks—especially for minors—are significant and well-documented,” the declaration reads. It adds that “without proper and trustworthy age verification, it is difficult to prevent for example social media from targeting minors with content and features designed for adults, putting their wellbeing at risk.”
Even though the declaration is not legally binding, it sets the tone for upcoming legislation—particularly the Digital Fairness Act, expected early next year—which could make verification systems across all digital services a requirement. This would effectively end anonymous access to much of the internet, forcing users to identify themselves to private companies just to view or share content.
Danish Digital Minister Caroline Stage Olsen defended the approach, saying that “the most important is to have rules in place, the Digital Fairness Act is the quickest way now to get to action. The rules should however not overlap with others.” Her government has been at the forefront of the initiative, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announcing plans to ban social media for children under 15 to “better protect children and young people in a digital reality where many experience declining well-being and increasing addiction to social media.”
Meanwhile, the European Commission has stepped up enforcement under the DSA, demanding that platforms like Snapchat, YouTube, Apple, and Google explain their current age verification methods. It wants details on how these companies prevent minors from accessing illegal products and prevent harmful information from reaching young audiences.
25 out of the 27 countries have signed the document. The two that opposed, Belgium and Estonia, cited concerns over privacy and the potential for overreach.
