Greek MEP Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR) has submitted a written parliamentary question to the European Commission, raising concerns that age verification systems under the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the planned European Digital Identity Wallet could lead to mass digital surveillance, erode anonymity, and restrict freedom of expression online. The question, filed on 8 May 2026, targets recent statements by the Commissioner for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, which Fragkos says have fueled public fears that tools initially framed as child protection measures may be expanded to monitor all internet users.
Fragkos specifically asks whether the Commission is considering measures to restrict or prevent the use of VPNs in connection with age verification or the DSA, how it will ensure that such systems do not indirectly eliminate anonymous internet access, and who would be legally and financially liable in the event of a mass data leak from the digital identification infrastructure. The MEP notes that cybersecurity experts have already flagged serious technical weaknesses in prototype age verification systems.
Policy orientation and expected follow-up
The question reflects a growing cleavage between online child safety objectives and the protection of privacy and anonymity — a tension that pits consumer protection and security against fundamental rights to free expression and data privacy. Fragkos, a member of the eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists group, appears to be pushing back against what he sees as creeping surveillance powers, warning that mechanisms presented as protective could be repurposed for censorship and monitoring.
The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. Its answer will signal whether it plans to pursue technical measures that could limit VPN use or mandate identity-linked verification, or whether it will prioritise anonymity safeguards. The outcome will affect EU citizens concerned about online privacy, tech companies that may face new compliance obligations, and child safety advocates who argue that robust age verification is essential to protect minors.
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