EU AGE VERIFICATION APP FACES SECURITY BACKLASH

The EU's age verification app, designed to help enforce digital regulations across the bloc, contains flaws that could expose user data and compromise security protocols, according to cybersecurity researchers. Brussels had previously announced the tool was "technically ready," but officials reversed course after expert scrutiny, now describing it as a demonstration rather than a finalized product. The security gaps raise questions about the app's timeline for full implementation and the vetting process that preceded its rollout. Age verification systems are critical infrastructure under the EU's Digital Services Act and other content regulation frameworks, making their security paramount. The disclosure highlights ongoing tensions between regulatory ambitions and technical reality in the bloc's digital governance efforts. Officials have not yet announced when a hardened version addressing the identified vulnerabilities will be available.