From July 2025, the EU will launch mandatory age verification through a special application: what refugees need to know

From July 1, 2025, the digital reality in the European Union will change fundamentally. A new system of mandatory age verification for all Internet users will come into effect – through a special mobile application, which will be the only way to verify adulthood when accessing most online services. This European Commission initiative is aimed at protecting minors from harmful content, and is part of a wider strategy to regulate the digital space within the Digital Services Regulation (DSA). But for millions of Ukrainian refugees who have been living in the EU since the beginning of the full-scale war, this reform may prove to be a difficult test — from the technical, legal and psychological side.

New decision of the European Commission

From July 1, 2025, the digital reality in the European Union will change fundamentally. A new system of mandatory age verification for all Internet users through a special mobile application will be implemented, which will be the only way to verify the age of majority when accessing most online services. This European Commission initiative is aimed at protecting minors from harmful content, and is part of a wider strategy to regulate the digital space within the Digital Services Regulation (DSA). But for millions of Ukrainian refugees who have been living in the EU since the beginning of the full-scale war, this reform may prove to be a difficult test — from the technical, legal and psychological side.

From now on, every adult user will be required to install a special application to confirm their age. Without this restriction of access to popular services, and in some cases — complete blocking of accounts. It is not only about sites with erotic or gambling content. You will have to pass an age check even to enter social networks, streaming platforms and some messengers, if their policy provides for an age limit of 13 or 16 years.

The list of covered platforms is impressive: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), as well as the biggest adult sites – Pornhub, Stripchat, XVideos, XNXX. And although most of these services already have de jure age thresholds, in practice no one checked documents before. From July, the situation will change — access will require confirmation through an application that will record not only age, but also the country of residence, sometimes even citizenship or type of residence permit.

The new app will be an interim solution until the planned launch of the EU’s electronic wallet (eID) in 2026. It is created by the companies Scytales and T-Systems in a white-label format — that is, each EU state will receive its own version, adapted to national legislation, digital infrastructure and linguistic features.

Despite the first impression, the new system is not directed exclusively against porn sites. It is about the EU’s general digital policy for the protection of children. Within the DSA, major online platforms are required to ensure:

• checking the age of users;
• default privacy settings for minor accounts;
• transparent tape algorithms;
• filtering of content that may harm a child’s mental health;
• complaints and blocking mechanisms.

Fines will be imposed in case of non-compliance. Already today, the European Commission has launched official investigations against Meta (Facebook, Instagram), TikTok and the largest sites for adults due to suspicion of negligence in the protection of minors. This means: platforms will be forced to implement stricter access protocols — with mandatory age verification.

What does this mean for Ukrainian refugees?

For citizens of EU countries, the transition to the new system will be inertial: local language, support of state services, unified digital identity cards. However, the situation is more complicated for Ukrainian refugees. The main problem is the lack of integration of Ukrainian documents into European digital systems. If the application does not read the Ukrainian biometric passport or temporary residence permit, the person will not be able to pass the age verification. At best, this will mean restricting access to TikTok or Instagram. At worst, it is impossible to use a number of state or media services that also fall under regulation.

Another barrier is language. If the application is available only in German, French or Polish, older Ukrainians who do not know the language and do not use a smartphone confidently will simply not be able to pass identification. This will hit the elderly refugees hard who already face digital inequality.

A separate problem is Ukrainian teenagers who study in the EU or use social networks as the only way to communicate with friends or relatives in Ukraine. If age is not verified through the app, they may lose access to Instagram, YouTube, even YouTube Kids or educational platforms. This threatens not only the loss of leisure time, but also social isolation.

Parents should take responsibility for verifying their children’s accounts. However, even adult refugees themselves can find themselves in a dead end – due to a lack of technical skills, a language interface or legal clarity. If the family cannot confirm the age of the children, part of the digital space will become inaccessible to them.

Is it possible to bypass the system?

The European Commission plans to integrate age verification into all key areas: from entertainment content to online banking, telemedicine and education. It will be difficult to bypass the application: using VPN, fake documents or third-party accounts will be punished by blocking and sometimes even deleting the profile.

Ukrainians living in the EU should already:

• find out which application will be used in their country of residence;
• check whether it recognizes Ukrainian documents;
• install the beta version and test the functions;
• register children on permitted platforms through parental accounts;
• contact local refugee support centers or digital media hubs where advice can be obtained.

No one questions the need to protect children in the digital world. However, universal measures implemented by the EU may create a new type of discrimination – digital. Especially for those who ended up in Europe not by their own will, but because of the war. Ukrainian refugees have the right to safe and accessible Internet no less than anyone in the EU.

In order for the new system to really work, full support for the Ukrainian language in applications, integration with Ukrainian biometric documents, and special information campaigns for refugees in each country are required. Otherwise, the fight for children’s online safety will turn into another digital barrier for millions of adults and teenagers who already live in the reality of daily loss, trauma and separation.