On International Safer Internet Day, the European Commission has selected partners, Deutsche Telekom AG and Scytáles AB, a Swedish-based digital identity company, to develop an age check solution for the EU wallet.
Verifying age through the wallet is important to prevent age-restricted transactions with minors in the modern era of online safety.
They will jointly develop a “privacy-centric” ID card fit within the EU’s digital wallet; the contract is a landmark project that advances the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) initiatives.
The internet and its applications is set to be more tightly controlled for citizen privacy, whilst the European Union is ensuring citizens take back data ownership using the wallet.
On behalf of the EU Commission, these companies will deliver a secure, scalable and privacy-compliant age verification system for the wallet. The online store communicates with the wallet to request the identity data required.
Scytáles CEO Konstantin Papaxanthis says: “Ensuring the safety, security, and privacy of minors is a top priority in the Commission’s Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) strategy.”
“Being the technology provider for the EUDI Wallet, positions us as the ideal partner for creating a solution that meets all the high standards required for the EU wide Age Verification. We’re thrilled to have been awarded the contract by the EU, together with T-Systems and are proud to see our technology recognized.”
EU citizens and residents will be able to securely verify their age with the solution after successful implementations in the Member States, with full compliance with EU privacy standards.
Today is the official day recognising how the internet has changed society with unlimited freedom to information that anyone can access online, even children. The number of children and young people using the internet is ever-increasing and in 2023, 97% of young people in the EU said they used the internet daily.
Ferri Abolhassan, CEO of T-Systems and member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom AG, says: “With secure identities, we are giving EU citizens back their lost digital sovereignty. People who order e.g. sneakers online often don’t know what the web store is doing with their user data. The technology confirms that someone really is who they say they are. An easy logging in without passwords for online citizen services, banking transactions or travel – simple and secure. In Germany, we are already providing successful secure healthcare services in this way.”
Deutsche Telekom is a partner of the EU in the introduction of digital identities and participating in the EU’s field tests to activate mobile phone cards and issue health ID. The tests are taking place in Germany, France, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, Greece and Ukraine.
