President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced today that the European Union's age verification app is technically ready and will be launched soon as part of the bloc's efforts to protect minors online. Von der Leyen told reporters: "When it comes to children's safety online, the situation becomes extremely worrying. One in six children is bullied online." Many national governments across the EU plan to introduce a minimum age for using social media sites, but there is no reliable mechanism to verify age in line with the bloc's strict data protection standards. Von der Leyen stated that France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland have already announced they will integrate the app into their national IT systems. She called on more countries to do the same, reiterating her concerns about young people's excessive use of social media.
