AGCOM Imposes Mandatory Age Verification for Italian Gambling Content
On Friday, AGCOM announced a technical framework mandating Italian media to enforce age-verification checks before users can engage with adult content.
Italy's Media and Communications Authority, AGCOM, has introduced a new measure requiring mandatory age verification to ensure that only adults can access certain types of content, including gambling, pornography, and adult-specific social media.
On Friday, AGCOM announced a technical framework mandating Italian media to enforce age-verification checks before users can engage with adult content. This move stems from the Caivano Decree, Italy's online safety and protection bill.
AGCOM stated:
"The measure enforces stronger age verification mechanisms to protect minors from content harmful to their physical, mental, or moral development, requiring stricter safeguards across information society services."
The framework requires media platforms to use Italy's Public Digital Identity System (SPID) or other digital identities to verify the age of citizens and residents. This will apply to websites featuring pornography, gambling, and unrestricted social networks. The system will operate under a "double anonymity" model, ensuring that media owners cannot store or track user data related to age verification.
AGCOM has notified the European Commission (EC) of the new measures, which will review the proposal to ensure compliance with EU data and privacy regulations. Pending EC approval, AGCOM plans to launch a pilot program with industry partners to test the age verification system.
These controls will be extended to online gambling licences under the government’s forthcoming Reorganisation Decree. As of August, Italy’s online gambling sector is in a ‘standstill period’ awaiting EC authorisation for a new regulatory framework, expected by December or January. The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) plans to introduce a new €7 million, nine-year online gambling licence and prohibit skin gambling websites.
