The Spanish government presents a tool to protect minors
The Spanish government has presented a new application that aims to limit the access of minors to pornographic or adult content. This tool, called ‘Beta Digital Wallet’, will be available at the end of this summer and can be downloaded voluntarily. There is no word yet on the platform from which the new app can be downloaded.
How does the app work?
The ‘Digital Wallet Beta’ application works through a user age verification system. Websites and platforms that offer adult content will have to verify that users who access them are over 18 years old. This verification will be carried out through the application, which will know the user’s age through the electronic ID or other administrative sources consulted by the Spanish government (https://correccioencatala.cat/com-estructura-text-catala/) .
How to get the credential?
To use the application, the user must download it voluntarily and request a credential that certifies that they are of legal age. This credential will be issued by the Spanish government, which will consult the user’s personal data through the General Secretariat of the Digital Administration. When the user tries to access a website or platform with adult content, he will be asked to prove his age by scanning a QR code with the camera of his mobile phone. If the user has the credential that accredits them as an adult, they will be able to access the content; otherwise, access will be blocked (https://correccioencatala.cat/com-estructura-text-catala/).
Duration and reuse of credentials
Once the credential is validated, the user will have access for 30 days to any platform with adult content. Each credential can be reused a maximum of 10 times at the same provider. If a user uses up their 30 credentials before the end of the month they were issued, they can request more through the app.
Which pages will verify age?
At the moment, the pages that will be obliged to verify the age of the users will be the platforms with pornographic content established in Spain. Other platforms may voluntarily adopt this verification system. For example, apps like WhatsApp or Telegram could offer a QR code to validate that users are adults when they detect the sharing of adult content.
A pioneering initiative
This initiative of the Spanish government is pioneering and is in line with the proposals of the European Union. According to EU directives, digital platforms will be required to verify the age of their users to access adult content by October 2027. The Spanish government says its solution is based on European standards and will facilitate the fulfillment of these obligations by companies. However, until the date set by the EU arrives, the Spanish government can only count on the good will of the platforms to adopt this verification system (https://correccioencatala.cat/com-estructura-text-catala/ ).
Possible limitations
Despite the good intentions of the Spanish government, there are some limitations in this verification system. For example, it is possible to bypass this measure by using a VPN. Also, if the pornographic web pages are not hosted in Spain, it is easier to avoid this verification.
