France and four other European countries will test an online age verification app, here's what we know

Five European countries, including France, will test an application to verify the age of online users and prevent children from accessing dangerous content, the European Commission announced on Monday, July 14, 2025.

"This feature will allow users to easily prove that they are over 18 , which will protect children from inappropriate content," explained Henna Virkkunen, European Commissioner responsible for technology issues.

In concrete terms, this is a European prototype that each Member State will be able to adjust according to its own rules: for example, depending on whether there is a ban on the internet for children aged 12, 13 or 15, etc.

The first five countries to take the plunge are France, Denmark, Greece, Italy and Spain.

This proposal was particularly pushed by France, with the Minister for Digital Affairs, Clara Chappaz, advocating age verification "at the European level" for access to social networks.

In early June, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to ban social media for children under 15 in France if this was not done at the European level "within a few months."

"No more excuses"

The European Union has one of the strictest legislative frameworks in the world to regulate digital giants. But calls to go further are growing among the 27 member states, as studies demonstrate the negative effects of social media on the mental and physical health of young people.

On Monday, the European Commission also published recommendations for social networks for young people, for example, to make it easier for minors to block users.

These measures also include removing potentially addictive features like "checkmarks," which indicate that a message has been read and can lead to frantic waiting for a response.

"It is essential that we ensure that our children and young people are safe online," said Commissioner Henna Virkkunen. "Platforms have no excuse for continuing practices that put children at risk," she said.

Investigations targeting Meta and TikTok

Brussels is currently investigating the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram owned by the US group Meta, as well as TikTok, under its new Digital Services Regulation (DSA).

These platforms are suspected of not sufficiently protecting children from harmful content.

At the end of May, the Commission also opened an investigation into four pornographic sites (Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos) suspected of failing to prevent children from accessing adult content.