Croatia is exploring its mGrađani digital application as a potential mechanism for verifying age in the context of forthcoming European legislation aimed at protecting children online. Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation Minister Damir Habijan underscored that protecting minors in digital spaces ranks among the government's core priorities, according to official remarks.
Habijan stated that Croatia must establish its negotiating stance within EU discussions while simultaneously crafting domestic policies covering prevention, education, parental assistance and age verification mechanisms. These remarks emerged during a session of the expert working group responsible for drafting Croatia's child protection law, where participants addressed the imminent EU KIDS Act.
The European Commission unveiled its EU KIDS Act proposal last Thursday, introducing fresh age thresholds for social media access and shifting verification responsibility onto digital platforms themselves. The regulation would mandate that service providers demonstrate they have implemented appropriate age and safety safeguards. This framework is expected to substantially increase demand for age assurance tools across the bloc.
The EU regulation would establish uniform standards across all member states governing social networks, video streaming platforms, online gaming services, application marketplaces and artificial intelligence offerings. The framework requires rigorous age verification procedures and obligates service providers to demonstrate that their platforms meet safety standards for young users.
Croatia demonstrated its age verification approach through mGrađani, a system already deployed for online transactions involving alcohol and energy drinks. The mechanism validates whether a purchaser meets the age threshold of 18 without disclosing personal information, thereby protecting user privacy and limiting data sharing. To date, the system has been integrated by 60 retailers, with over 2,000 verification checks performed.
The platform has expanded its functionality to encompass new capabilities, including access to real estate records tied to a citizen's OIB, which serves as a tax identification number. Officials indicate that ongoing input from users is informing platform enhancements, and the application forms part of Croatia's comprehensive digital modernization initiative.
The nation's e-Citizens infrastructure currently serves more than 2.3 million users and delivers 124 electronic services. Government representatives contend that the growth of mGrađani illustrates how digital identity infrastructure can streamline administrative processes while contributing to EU-level initiatives for child protection in digital environments.
Croatia is integrating the EU Digital Identity framework into its national Digital Information Infrastructure (DII) and adhering to the Architecture Reference Framework (ARF) as it prepares to launch an EUDI Wallet by the conclusion of 2026.
