As the U.S. grapples with how to implement its own Internet age verification guardrails for minors, two Big Tech firms on opposite sides of the issue here have thrown their support behind French President Emmanuel Macron’s steps to safeguard EU children. Meta Platforms issued a statement lauding Macron’s idea for a “digital majority age” that requires parents to approve children’s access to services including social media. Simultaneously, Google open-sourced its Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) libraries to help developers with privacy-compliant age verification solutions, a move that coincides with a partnership with German bank Sparkasse on a digital wallet age verification service.

“Google and Meta have independently taken actions to support a safer Internet for kids — and given blockchain boosters a moment to celebrate,” writes The Register, detailing how “France enacted a digital majority age for under-15s in 2023,” with Macron in 2024 calling on all European nations to follow suit.

In a news post on July 3, Meta generally agreed that the concept “can be an effective solution to the industry-wide challenge of ensuring teens have safe, age-appropriate experiences online,” though the social behemoth thinks the age of majority should be 16, with those younger requiring parental approval for downloads.

“Consistency across industry” so any new rules “apply broadly” across digital services, not just social media, and “robust age verification mechanisms” that can work across national borders “at the app store or operating system level” were additional “guiding principles for an EU-wide digital majority age” articulated by Meta.

Google’s July 3 announcement about open-source ZKP libraries “might help deliver the universally friendly age verification part of Meta’s principles, The Register suggests, noting that the search giant’s deal with Sparkasse is something blockchain enthusiasts can cheer.

The move comes as the age verification movement gains steam in the United States, where Utah became the first state to enact a law requiring app stores to verify age for those downloading apps, with parental approval necessary for those under 18. Meta and Google found themselves on the opposite side of lobbying efforts as that law moved through the legislature.

Meanwhile, on June 27 the Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for sites with “material harmful to minors.” “The Texas measure is one of 24 similar ones enacted around the United States,” reports Reuters.

Though that groundswell focusing on preventing children from accessing adult content, the high court ruling could have broader content ramifications down the line. The BBC says the ruling “could have global implications for the future of the Web,” while Marketplace thinks its impact may most immediately grow to encompass anime and manga content.

In addition, Mashable reports that by the end of this year, “Australians will have to verify their ages when surfing the web while logged into their Google or Microsoft accounts and using each company’s respective search engine,” part of a new set of regulations that went into effect last week.