From July “you won't enter the internet without her”? Disinformation about the EU application

The matter of the prepared EU application is widely commented on by concerned Internet users. They quote information portals and claim that the application that is to be used to verify age will significantly hinder or even prevent the use of the network. “Without a new application you will not use the Internet!” – we read in one of the posts on this topic. The author continues to write: “From July 1, 2025, every adult internet user in the European Union will have to use the new application to confirm the age of majority.”

This post generated over 37,000 in a few days. views, and the indifferent limited limitation Internet users commented: “It's against human rights”; “Invisible chains”; “Until now, I thought that polexit slogans are an exaggeration and that it is not so bad but as you can see, I was wrong, but it is tragic and you have to run away from this Eurocomun” (the spelling of all posts original).

“From July X only with a special EU application. Digital kolkhoz progresses” – wrote On June 8, another Internet user, and this post was displayed as much as 340 thousand. times. “But what?! That I will have to send them a scan of an ID card?!”; “And on what legal basis?” – asked in the comments.

Information that from July 1 in EU member states the application for verification of age will be mandatory, was widely distributed on X and Facebook – that is, on websites that this alleged change would affect. “Complete surveillance is coming”; “If we allow the EU to introduce this system, in a few years we will live in a digital prison, where every word, every move and every thought will be controlled by EU commissioners”; “Important! From July 1, 2025, the EU plans digital control by verifying age” – wrote Internet users.

However, not only Internet users themselves claimed that the obligatory application would come into force in the EU in July. The message also appeared on information services. From their texts you could find out that without this new application you would not be able to enter, among others On thicket, Facebook, Instagram, X or YouTube, or that without it access to part of the functions of these websites will be limited from July 1. Text titles were, for example: “From July 1 you will log in to social media only with age verification”, “From July 1 without application you will not enter Facebook”, “Without this application you will not enter Facebook and YouTube” etc. So there is a discussion on the network whether new restrictions can be missed.

We checked what application it is about. We calm down: the fears are unfounded, and many reports about changes in the network – untrue.

Both mostly articles and posts were not given sources of information about the alleged application, there were no references to the messages of European institutions. We searched for information on this topic on the European Commission's website.

And yes, according to message of May 27, 2025, the EC initiates formal proceedings against four pornographic platforms in connection with the suspected violation of the act of digital services. And on this occasion, the EC has reported that in cooperation with the Member States “she develops an application for verification of age”. “The application, based on the same technology as the EU digital portfolio, can be implemented by the Member States, and then used by Internet service providers to verify whether the user is over 18 years old, without disclosing further information on identity, and thus with full respect for his privacy,” the EC communicated. She said that the application is to be available in the summer of 2025.

And that's it. This project is the implementation of solutions contained in the EU Act on Digital Services (Digital Service Act) from 2022. The idea for the application is not new, because in October 2024 it was announced tender for “developing, consulting and support in the field of age verification.” The budget amount was EUR 4 million, and the EC with a planned technological solution she wrote: “The purpose of the invitation to submit applications is to develop technical specifications, with the participation of Member States and other interested parties, for the purposes of solutions in the field of verification of the age protecting the privacy.” The solution is to operate on the basis of a cryptographic protocol (zero-knowledge proof), i.e. verifying the age of the user “without sharing any other information about this person”.

Except that the application is to be a temporary solution and in next year is to transform into an EU digital identity portfolio. The entry into force of this tool is planned for the end of 2026 – we described the details in Concrete24.

Thus, the EC messages do not show that the application would be mandatory. There is also no information that it will start operating from July 1 in all Member States. We contacted the European Commission press office to clarify doubts. It turns out that the application will be only one of the options for which the platforms will be able (but will not have to) decide, and in addition it certainly will not start on July 1, because it is simply not ready.

The EC press office for technological sovereignty confirmed on June 10, 2025 in response to the concrete24 that the use of the EC tool regarding age verification on the web will not be mandatory. Only such a possibility is planned, from which Instagram or Facebook platforms will be able to use.

“For each internet platform, it is necessary to determine whether its services pose a threat to minors. If they actually pose a threat (e.g. pornographic platforms), they must protect minors and can decide to use the application on which the Commission is working on, or on an equally effective method of limiting the risk to prevent minors access to this content” – explains the representative of the press office. He points out that the Act on digital services, under which the application is created, “does not specify a specific type of age verification that the supplier is obliged to use.”

“Age verification solution, developed at EU level, aims to provide internet platforms for privacy -friendly tools to verify the age of their users. However, suppliers can use other risk limiting means if they are able to show that they are reasonable and proportional to system risk and effective” – ​​we read in the answer.

The representative of the EC office also reported that she cooperates with Member States regarding the EC application. When asked if the tool will be ready on July 1, she said in a telephone conversation that the application will not be available from that day – in July the Commission is only to share the application with the Member States, “that they could adapt and test it”. The beta version of the application is to be made available.

In addition, in this pilot program on the application, Poland does not participate. For now, it will be tested by France, Spain, Denmark, Italy and Greece. During the telephone conversation, the representative of the EC office told us that it is possible that more countries will take part in the pilot in the future. She also informed that – contrary to media reports – the application has no name yet.

Internet users in the comments emphasize that the application for age verification is to hinder access to Instagram, Facebook or Tiktok – meanwhile the prepared tool is to serve primarily to verify the age of Internet users using pornography pages. At the conversation with Zasta24, the representative of the EC office pointed out. She explained that such platforms are obliged to check the user's age in some way, and this is usually done by asking the Internet user whether he is 18 years old – which, according to the EC, is an “ineffective solution”.

Responding to our questions and to a false message in Polish social media, the European Commission Office in Poland issued a statement on June 12. He denies that the EU application for age verification in EU countries. “The Commission is working on a voluntary, safe and private tool for verification from which the platform they will be able to use, but they do not have to” – it was informed.

The Ministry of Digitization also reacted, informing on June 13 on the profile in X: “In connection with the false information appearing in the media regarding the alleged introduction by the European Commission for verifying the age of Internet users using a special application, we would like to inform you that these reports are incompatible with reality.”

To sum up: Polish users of social platforms have nothing to fear, their age will not be verified from July 1, through the EU application.