Ireland launches digital identity verification for social media users' age.

The Irish government launched the testing phase of its digital wallet on Friday, which includes an age verification feature aimed at enhancing the safety of young people in the online environment. According to a statement released by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the digital identity card will be able to support age verification, thereby helping to protect children and young people from potential harm on social media platforms. Ireland is home to the European headquarters of some of the world's largest tech companies and also one of several countries considering banning teenagers from using social media. In January, Australia decided to ban users under the age of 16 from creating accounts. Ireland sees social media age verification as a step towards a broader ban, which may include platforms operated by companies like Meta. Earlier this year, Finance Minister Simon Harris stated that teenage use of social media poses a "significant public health issue" and highlighted its impact on mental health.