Towards identity verification on TikTok in France?

 An initiative that could change access to social networks for minors.

Since the Digital Services Act (DSA) came into effect in August 2023, digital platforms must adhere to strict rules regarding the moderation of illegal content. If your children use TikTok or Instagram, a new initiative could directly impact their online experience in the coming months.

The impact of social media on young people's mental health is a growing concern for authorities. TikTok, in particular, is the subject of several investigations within the EU for its system that rewards time spent on the platform. Documents revealed last year also suggest that just 35 minutes of use could be enough to create an addiction among teenagers.

A concrete solution for age verification

The European Commission has announced that five countries will test an age verification app model . France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, and Greece will participate in this experiment. It is based on the same technical specifications as the European Digital Identity Wallet . The latter will be rolled out gradually across the European Union starting next year.

The goal is to create a reliable system for confirming users' ages without compromising their privacy. Each country will be able to adapt the model to its needs or integrate it into an existing national application.

Guidelines for platforms

At the same time, the Commission published guidelines for online platforms to strengthen the protection of minors. These recommendations specifically aim to combat addictive interfaces, cyberbullying, harmful content, and unwanted contact with strangers.

On X, Henna Virkkunen, European Commissioner for Digital Affairs, said: "  Platforms have no excuse to continue practices that put children at risk  ."

TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are currently under investigation for DSA compliance. If you regularly use these social media platforms, you may soon notice changes to their policies and interfaces.

A global context of hardening

This initiative is part of a global movement to strengthen online protection for minors. Albania recently announced a complete ban on TikTok following the death of a teenager in a social media-related brawl. In the United States, several states have filed lawsuits against Meta.

Australia, for its part, opted for a radical measure by banning children under 16 from social media last year. The European approach, which is less restrictive, seeks to hold platforms accountable while creating concrete tools to protect children.

If you want to understand why TikTok is problematic, it's explained in our article "TikTok, 35 minutes that can change a life."