Europe Plans to Implement Strict Age Verification to Prevent Children Accessing Adult Content
A report released by the European Commission on Thursday (26/3) accuses the social media platform Snapchat and four online pornography sites of endangering children’s rights and welfare by allowing them to access adult content.
The Commission states that underage users can access the sites simply by clicking a button declaring they are 18 years old, without accurate age verification.
This serious lack of oversight is deemed to violate EU digital rules and could result in significant fines for the companies.
The European Commission also highlights four porn sites with accusations of failing to implement adequate age restrictions on adult content.
“In the EU, online platforms have a responsibility,” said European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen. “Children are accessing adult content at increasingly younger ages, and these platforms must implement strong, privacy-protecting, and effective measures to prevent minors from using their services.”
The Commission will now present initial findings to the companies, which are expected to take steps to comply with EU digital regulations.
If they do not, they risk fines of up to 6% of global annual revenue.
Tech companies deemed to violate EU digital rules
The social media platform Snapchat is also under the same spotlight regarding whether it has sufficiently protected children and adolescents from exposure to adult content.
The European Commission suspects the company has failed to prevent underage use of the platform, thereby exposing them to risks, including online sexual grooming and criminal recruitment, according to a press release.
“From grooming to exposure to illegal products, as well as account settings that undermine child safety, Snapchat appears to ignore that the Digital Services Act demands high safety standards for all users,” Virkkunen said in a statement.
“Through this investigation, we will thoroughly review their compliance with our regulations,” she added.
The Commission’s investigation also highlights whether Snapchat effectively enforces the minimum age limit (13 years) and measures to protect children from criminal perpetrators.
The US-based company stated it will cooperate with EU authorities while claiming to have “improved safety standards.”
EU prepares age verification app
Although Snapchat and other platforms have set minimum age limits, the European Commission deems these steps still inadequate.
In response, the EU is developing its own age verification app, which will allow users to prove their age without sharing personal data with tech companies.
The app is estimated to be available in early 2027.