00:04Welcome to Euronews' fact-checking show, The Cube.
00:07Posts circulating on social media claim the EU is planning to censor the Internet
00:11by introducing a so-called digital passport.
00:14The claims refer to the European Commission's New Age Verification app,
00:18designed to help protect children from harmful or age-inappropriate online content.
00:23The controversy centers on how the system will work.
00:25To set up the app, users will need to verify their age using an identity document,
00:30such as a passport or a national ID card.
00:33Once activated, the app is designed to confirm only whether someone is old enough to access a service
00:39without sharing personal details, such as their name or date of birth.
00:43And critics argue this amounts to online censorship.
00:46The European Commission says the app is simply intended to prevent under-18s
00:50from accessing content or services that may be harmful to them.
00:54The app is expected to be rolled out by the end of 2026, once adopted by member states
00:59or integrated into national European digital identity wallets.
01:03Some posts have also revised the claim that the EU plans to ban or block VPNs to enforce the new
01:09system.
01:09The Cube has already debunked this claim, which stems from an EU research briefing
01:14that noted that VPNs can sometimes be used to bypass HX.
01:17But the document was not an EU policy proposal and did not call for restrictions on VPNs.
01:23After questions were raised during the launch of the aid verification app,
01:27Hena Virkunen, the European commissioner responsible for tech sovereignty and security,
01:32later clarified that the aim is to make HX more effective, not to restrict VPNs.
01:37Her office also confirmed to the Cube that there are no plans to crackdown on VPNs.
01:42Have a great day.
01:46Thanks so much.
01:47Thanks guys.
Comments