TikTok’ To Introduce EU Age Verification System

During the EU pilot, thousands of accounts were removed. However, some adults were misclassified as underage. Users who believed their accounts were wrongly flagged could appeal using facial age estimation via Yoti, credit card authorisation, or government-approved identification. TikTok stated that age-prediction data is used solely for moderation and deleted afterward, in line with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

“By adopting this approach, we are able to deliver safety for teens in a privacy-preserving manner,” TikTok stated in a blogpost. “We take our responsibility to protect our community, and teens in particular, incredibly seriously.”

The system restricts direct messaging for under-16s and limits screen time to 60 minutes for under-18s.

EU and Australia’s Divergent Approaches to Age Verification

The EU’s approach to age verification focuses on compliance with the DSA, which requires platforms to protect minors from harmful content. TikTok’s system was developed in collaboration with Ireland’s Data Protection Commission to ensure alignment with local laws. This approach contrasts with Australia’s outright ban on social media for users under 16, which has led to the removal of 4.7 million accounts since December 2025. Critics argue that such bans may push teens toward unregulated platforms or the dark web.

TikTok’s system positions the company as an early adopter of the DSA’s age-verification mandates. Meta, which uses Yoti for age verification on Facebook, faces similar challenges in balancing compliance with privacy concerns, much like the broader challenges faced by social media platforms in the United States.

EU Digital Identity Wallet

TikTok’s age-verification rollout coincides with the EU’s plans to launch its Digital Identity Wallet by the end of 2026. The wallet aims to standardise digital identity across the bloc, including age-verification functionalities. This could reduce platforms’ reliance on third-party tools like Yoti, though it introduces new challenges for interoperability and user trust.

By 2026, all EU member states must provide at least one national wallet. This will allow users to prove their age without sharing additional personal data. This shift may change how platforms like TikTok verify user ages, moving toward standardised digital credentials..