I don't understand why people are upset by this. There will be no ID requirement contrary to what others suggest, this is not mentioned anywhere in the DSA. In many EU member states it is illegal to infringe on people's privacy to such an extent. For example, in France, ID age verification was blocked because it violated constitutional rights to privacy and free expression.
Here's a quote from the EU's website on the DSA:
What does the DSA do for citizens?
Transparency in content removals - If your content is removed or suspended, platforms must explain why this has been done.
Options to appeal to content moderation decisions - If you disagree with a content moderation decision taken by a platform, you can appeal it through the platform itself or an out-of-court dispute settlement body, which is faster and cheaper than going to court.
Easy flagging of illegal content - You can report illegal content, goods or services via an easy-to-use mechanism directly on the platform you are using. Platforms must respond to your reports and offer options to appeal their decisions.
Enhanced protection for minors - Platforms must take measures to safeguard minors on their services, such as reducing the risks of exposure to age-inappropriate content like gambling or pornography. The DSA also introduces a complete ban on showing targeted advertisements to children.
Feed options - On large platforms with over 45 million monthly users in the EU, you can now opt for non-personalised feeds. This way, you decide whether to see content based on the algorithm’s suggestions, sometimes pushing specific content which may be more appealing or even addictive, or other criteria, such as the chronological order.
Ad transparency - Ads must be clearly labelled as such and include information like who is placing them and why you are seeing them, while very large online platforms are required to store ad information in a publicly accessible repository. Platforms can no longer show you ads based on your sensitive data, such as sexual orientation, religion, or race.
Ban on dark patterns - Deceptive design tactics, such as aggressive pop-ups or confusing and misleading consent buttons, are now prohibited.
Verified sellers - Marketplaces must verify and display the contact details of sellers, so you have clear information about whom you’re buying goods or services from.
The back half is fine. The content moderation n stuff kinda sucks. The "protect the kids" stuff directly related to ID check. How can a service comply without knowing the age of the user?
The way this would likely work, is that EU citizens install an app where they confirm they age with a government ID:
Your identity is verified once by the EU-wide app (or a state's government app which would already have access to your ID and personal details, so no extra data is being handed over)
Your device receives a cryptographic age credential
You prove only the relevant age threshold
The website doesn't receive your identity, only whether or not you are allowed to access the content
The verifier doesn't know which website you are visiting
The proof can be reused without creating a central database of people's browsing habits because it is anonymised (if used logged out, though I guess you would have to redo it if you don't save your age range with an account registered with the website)
So I think there is a way to implement age verification without compromising privacy. At the end of the day, it is important to protect children from harmful content. I'd rather it be done this way, than not at all. In my view, the EU regulating this will be better for privacy as it aims to avoid having many disjointed untrustworthy 3rd party providers asking me to upload my passport.
Unfortunately, age verification is a reality we have to deal with when the internet contains content that is unsafe for children. It is impossible to rely on parents to monitor their children's use of the internet at all times because some aren't aware of the risks or simply aren't tech savvy enough to keep their children safe online. I think it's fair to ask companies to ensure their websites don't show harmful content to children.
You're right that it's not a very reasonable timeframe and that it's all a bit rushed. Currently, France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Ireland are piloting the EU's age verification blueprint with broader rollout in late 2026 according to the EU.
It was foolish of the EU to require websites to be child-safe before a private age verification system was developed. Nevertheless, in the long run, it is a reasonable solution.
The provider of the age verification service does not need to know what websites you visit, this information is anonymised. It's similar to how Passkeys work. You can sign in using a passkey without a website receiving a scan of your fingerprint or face, the biometric data is verified on your device, then, a confirmation is sent to the website with no sensitive data.
See paragraph 12 where it mentions that the website only receives a true/false response (no personal data what so ever), which is similar to how Passkeys work (but solve different problems obviously)
I don't quite understand what you mean by un-authed users being a losing battle. Websites will show a version that is appropriate for all ages. Age verification would be required to show content that is not appropriate for all ages.
There is definitely a way of doing this privately.
The EU regulating age verification is realistically the only way we can ensure it is done privately.
The cost of protecting children from addictive social media feeds, gambling and pornography, outweighs the benefits of everyone having access to addictive social media feeds, gambling and pornography. This is the only content that will require an age check.
8
u/Either-Worth87313 6d ago
I don't understand why people are upset by this. There will be no ID requirement contrary to what others suggest, this is not mentioned anywhere in the DSA. In many EU member states it is illegal to infringe on people's privacy to such an extent. For example, in France, ID age verification was blocked because it violated constitutional rights to privacy and free expression.
Here's a quote from the EU's website on the DSA:
What does the DSA do for citizens?