EU age verification app plan draws backlash over Google/Apple dependency
Original: European "age verification" "app" forcing everyone to use Android or iOS
Why This Matters
EU digital identity infrastructure mandating US platform APIs raises sovereignty and platform-lock-in concerns.
A GitHub discussion on the EU's digital identity wallet age verification spec has attracted hundreds of responses opposing a planned requirement for Google Play Integrity API and Apple App Attestation, which critics say deepens EU dependency on US tech giants.
The EU Digital Identity Wallet's age verification technical specification (av-doc-technical-specification) includes a requirement for app and device verification via Google Play Integrity API and Apple App Attestation. A GitHub discussion thread (#19), opened on July 16, 2025 by user TheLastProject, urges the EU to abandon this plan. The original post argues that mandating these proprietary US-controlled APIs would further entrench European dependence on American tech companies — a concern described as especially acute given the current geopolitical climate. The discussion has rapidly grown to over 280 comments and 325 replies, with the opening post receiving more than 3,200 thumbs-up reactions. Critics note that such a requirement would effectively force users to run only Android or iOS devices, locking out alternative operating systems and open-source platforms. The thread is pinned in the repository's Discussions section, signaling its significance to the project maintainers. No official response from the EU project team has been publicly confirmed in available content.