Age Verification on Social Media: Why It Matters

Should social media platforms prevent minors from accessing certain content, and if so, how?

This exact question is now being answered by lawmakers all over the world.

In Australia, from December 10, 2025, social media platforms must "take reasonable steps" to stop anyone under 16 from using their service.

On November 26, 2025, the EU Parliament voted in favor of measures that would set a minimum age of 16 for using social media.

Nordic countries like Denmark and Norway already have laws on the books to do just that.

With that in mind, let's look at the pros and cons of age verification on social media platforms and the role national eIDs play in this process.

The benefits of age verification on social media

One big reason to introduce age verification on social media is to protect minors. 

Social media platforms host plenty of content that's inappropriate (explicit material) or outright harmful (cyberbullying) to younger audiences. Age verification can stop children and teens from accessing such content or being groomed by online predators.

But introducing age verification can also help social networks comply with existing regulations and avoid potential liability. For instance, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States requires parental consent for children under 13 to use online services. Having a way to accurately verify a user's age makes adhering to these laws much easier.

Age verification can also increase customer trust. Parents will see a platform that takes active steps to protect younger users as generally more trustworthy. This, in turn, can lead to higher user engagement and loyalty. People tend to stick with companies they see as more socially responsible.

Finally, accurate age verification gives platforms the chance to curate and promote age-appropriate content. This keeps users more engaged while also creating a safer environment for everyone.

Arguments against age verification

But mandatory age verification also has its drawbacks, especially when it comes to privacy.

Users may be required to prove their age by sharing sensitive information like birth dates or providing personal ID documents. If a platform doesn't protect these well enough, this data becomes vulnerable to breaches and misuse. Balancing these privacy concerns with the need to verify a user's age is tricky.

Also, implementing age verification isn't free. Smaller companies may struggle to fund such projects. In turn, they may pass costs on to users through higher fees or more prominent ads, which is bad news for user retention and engagement.

And let's face it: Having to verify your age can feel frustrating and time-consuming to the end user. Companies may end up losing customers to platforms with a simpler age verification process.

What is EU's stance on age verification?

Europe has been quite proactive in addressing age verification on social media platforms. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) includes provisions to protect the privacy of minors. For instance, companies require parental consent to process the personal data of anyone under 16.

The EU is also working on digital identity solutions that make age verification easier, like the European Digital Identity regulation.

Beyond GDPR, the EU is generally moving toward mandatory age verification for social media. Digital identity wallets based on eIDAS 2.0 will let EU citizens confirm their age without having to reveal the exact birth date or other sensitive details. This should address some of the privacy concerns while still reliably verifying a user's age.

Speaking of which...

How national eIDs can solve age verification

National electronic identification (eID) is a government-issued digital identity. Individuals can use eIDs to verify their age and identity online.

eIDs are a promising way for social media platforms to implement age verification while sidestepping some of the above issues. Here are some of their benefits:

1. Better security

eIDs rely on advanced encryption to protect user data and reduce the risk of breaches or misuse.

Their high level of security makes eIDs less susceptible to fraud than traditional age verification methods.

2. Simple verification

With eIDs, users can verify their age with just a few clicks. They don't have to upload documents or enter additional personal information. All they need is a smartphone app.

This makes the entire process both more efficient and user-friendly.

3. Privacy protection

National eIDs are designed from scratch with privacy in mind. They let users verify their age without having to disclose more personal info than necessary.

This satisfies GDPR requirements and reduces privacy concerns associated with traditional age verification.

4. Built-in compliance

Using eIDs for age verification can help different social platforms provide the same standardized experience and comply with regulations. This is especially important in Europe, where GDPR sets a high bar for data protection and user privacy.

Yes, it’s expensive, but…

Let's face it: Implementing age verification costs money.

Especially smaller companies may feel like having to invest in the necessary tech and ongoing maintenance is a big burden.

But it doesn't always have to break the bank. By using a third-party age verification provider like Idura, platforms can skip building the necessary infrastructure from scratch. This lowers both the upfront costs and technical complexity.

At the same time, the cost of non-compliance is steep. In the EU, GDPR violations can trigger fines of up to 4% of a company's entire annual revenue (or €20 million, whichever is higher).

So for most social media companies, the question isn't whether to implement age verification but how to do it in the most secure, affordable, user-friendly, and privacy-preserving way.