Cyprus has joined a European pilot project to develop a secure and interoperable system for verifying users’ age online, Deputy Innovation Minister Nicodemos Damianou announced on Friday.

The initiative, led by the European Commission, aims to protect minors from harmful digital content, especially on social media platforms, according to a statement from the deputy ministry of research.

Speaking during the informal EU telecommunications council held on Friday in Denmark, Damianou said protecting children online is not only a regulatory need but also a moral responsibility for all member states. He stressed that the focus should now be on creating effective mechanisms to achieve this goal.

“Our children remain essentially unprotected,” the deputy minister said. 

He explained that young users are exposed daily to harmful, addictive and often illegal online content, which can severely affect their mental health, wellbeing, and learning progress.

Damianou added that the Cypriot government considers it necessary to define a “digital age of majority”, a clear minimum age below which access to social media and other online services would be restricted. He confirmed that this proposal is being examined seriously at the national level.

Cyprus’ participation in the pilot programme reflects the country’s political commitment to promoting a coherent and unified EU policy on child online safety, the deputy minister stated. He said that protecting minors on the internet remains a sensitive and urgent issue, and it will continue to be a top priority during Cyprus’ upcoming Presidency of the EU Council.

During the council meeting, EU ministers also signed a joint declaration supporting the assessment of introducing a digital age limit. The declaration promotes the creation of reliable age-verification mechanisms and the establishment of common standards for safe digital environments.