advocating for an eu-wide age verification system at the app store level
ahead of the meta youth safety event in brussels on tuesday, davis spoke with euronews about her vision for stronger online child protection laws.
while the european union and the united states approach online regulation differently, they share a common goal: protecting minors. to reinforce this effort, meta is urging lawmakers on both sides of the atlantic to introduce an age verification system at the app store level. this would make platforms like apple and google responsible for verifying users' eligibility before they download apps like facebook or instagram.
davis emphasized the importance of a comprehensive approach: "implementing age verification at the operating system or app store level will help create a safer ecosystem for teens. if we fail to address the entire system, young users may simply migrate to less secure platforms."
a similar proposal was included in a draft child safety bill in louisiana but was ultimately rejected last september following strong lobbying efforts by apple.
meta’s current age verification measures
at present, meta relies on self-reported age verification. if a user's activity suggests they may be underage, the platform requests additional verification through an id or a selfie-based system that estimates age.
the need for standardized age verification is gaining momentum. in the louvain declaration of april 2024, eu leaders committed to developing unified solutions and standards for identity and age verification across member states.