Good morning everyone and welcome to our VIP corner for a press statement with President von der Leyen and Vice President Virkkunen on the digital age verification app. Yes, good morning.

Last autumn at the State of the Union Address, I committed to making the online world safer for our children.

We know that digital technology can give children incredible opportunities. They can learn faster through interactive tools.

They can stay connected to their friends and families.

They can access a wealth of knowledge and explore the world far beyond the walls of the classroom.

And these technologies can also help them develop valuable life skills. But we are also very aware. That these benefits come with risks.

When it comes to the safety of children online, the situation is extremely worrying. 1 child in 6 is bullied online.

1 child in 8 is bullying another child online. Social media platforms offer highly addictive designs. Infinitive scrolling. That is feeding the addiction. Short videos, snap attention span. Highly personalized content targeted.

The amount of time our children spend looking at screens has never been so high,

and this is time they do not spend on the playground or with their peers. The more time they spend online.

The more likely it is that they will be exposed to harmful and illegal content. And also to grooming from online predators.

This environment does not benefit young developing minds.

So I have carefully listened to the parents who do not have proper solutions to protect their children. I share their concerns.

It is for parents to raise their children. And not for platforms.

I also heard the concerns of our Member States. And this is why a month ago.

I convened the first meeting of the special panel on children's safety online.

Tomorrow the panel will hold its 2nd meeting.

And this panel will deliver its recommendations by summer.

It is our duty to protect our children in the online world just as we do in the offline world.

And to do that effectively, we need a harmonized European approach.

One core topic is the question how can we ensure that there is a Europe-wide technical solution for age verification.

And today I can announce that we have the answer.

Our European age verification app is technically ready. And soon available for citizens to use.

So this app will allow users to prove their age when accessing online platforms,

just like shops ask for proof of age for people buying alcoholic beverages in a shop.

This is not the first time the Commission comes forward with an innovative solution to a new problem. We all remember the COVID pandemic. Our world came to a complete standstill.

But as we came out of the lockdowns and as vaccines were available, the Commission developed the COVID app in record time,

it was 3 months, to help bring us back to normal life in a safe way.

With a scan of our COVID certificate, you'll remember we could go to a concert, we could board a plane to travel, etc. Etc. 78 countries.

In 4 continents we're using this app, so it was a huge success.

And now we are taking this success and applied it to the age verification app.

It follows the same principles, the same model. First, it is user friendly.

You download the app, you set it up with your passport or your ID card,

you then prove your age when accessing online services.

Second, It respects the highest privacy standards in the world.

Users will prove their age without revealing any other personal information. Put simply, it's completely anonymous. Users cannot be tracked.

Third, The app works on any device, phone, tablet, computer, you name it. And finally, it is fully open source. Everyone can check the code.

This means that our partner countries can also use it.

This is very important that this can be used by our global partners.

But more importantly, Online platforms can easily rely on our age verification app,

so there are no more excuses.

Europe offers a free and easy to use solution that can shield our children from harmful and illegal content.

And we see more of our member states making great progress.

France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland are frontrunners.

They are planning to integrate the app into their national wallets.

And I hope more Member States and private sector will follow so that every citizen can use pretty soon this app.

This app gives parents, teachers, caretakers a powerful tool to protect children.

Because we will have zero tolerance for companies that do not respect our children's right.

This is why we're moving ahead with full speed and determination on the enforcement of our European rules. We are holding online platforms accountable. That do not protect our kids.

The new age verification solution and the enforcement of our rules go hand in hand.

Children's rights in the European Union become come before commercial interests and we will make sure they do.

Thank you very much and Henna.