On 30 July 2026, Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, answering a parliamentary question from S&D MEPs Nicolás González Casares and Laura Ballarín Cereza, said that very large online platforms designated under the Digital Services Act (DSA) carry heightened responsibility when profiting from harmful monetisation systems targeting minors. She pointed to existing DSA obligations requiring Apple and Google to identify and mitigate systemic risks, including negative impacts on minors' wellbeing, and cited Commission guidelines that minors should not be exposed to untransparent or misleading financial transactions such as virtual currencies. The answer responds to concerns about the mobile game Age of Origins, which allegedly uses dark patterns, misleading advertising, simulated gambling and speculative crypto-assets that collapsed, causing financial losses to users.
Virkkunen's reply confirms that the Commission is already enforcing the DSA in this area. In September 2025, the Commission asked Apple App Store and Google Play to provide detailed information on how they assess fraudulent content and reduce risks of financial scams, including fraudulent apps imitating banking or investment services. In October 2025, it requested information on measures to prevent minors' exposure to harmful apps like gambling apps and on the effectiveness of age rating systems. The answer also notes that the German Bundesnetzagentur is investigating the gaming platform Steam over possible DSA breaches linked to the Plantation Simulator game, illustrating national-level enforcement.
The Commission's response is largely declarative, pointing to existing tools rather than announcing new investigations. Concrete follow-up is deferred to two ongoing processes: the impact assessment for the upcoming Digital Fairness Act, which will examine whether further action is needed on gambling-simulating features (loot boxes) and pay-to-win mechanics, and the revision of the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation, which aims to strengthen and speed up enforcement of EU consumer law. No timeline was given for either.
The answer signals a policy direction that leans towards stronger platform accountability under the DSA and DMA, but stops short of committing to a coordinated EU-wide investigation into mobile gaming ecosystems. The Commission's stance balances consumer protection for minors against the operational burden on app stores, which face additional compliance costs from risk assessments and age-verification measures. For consumers, particularly minors, the answer offers reassurance that existing rules are being applied, but the absence of new measures leaves the door open for the Digital Fairness Act to deliver more concrete protections. App store operators and game developers face continued regulatory scrutiny and potential new obligations, while national authorities like the German regulator are already taking action, suggesting a fragmented enforcement landscape that the Commission's revision of the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation may seek to harmonise.