In an effort to limit access to online pornography for minors, Spain has come up with a new mobile application that not only requires users to verify their age, but also limits the number of credits for viewing adult content.
This comes after Dale Una Vuelta, an anti-pornography group campaigning for stricter rules on access to adult content online, previously released statistics raising concerns about the alarming spread of adult content among minors.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the data “devastating” and told El Pais newspaper: “Almost half of young people under 15 use this data.”
How does the app work?
The mobile application, officially called the Digital Wallet Beta (Cartera Digital Beta), and locally known as the “pajaporte”, allows platforms to check whether the user is over 18 years old or not. To verify their age, viewers are asked to use the mobile app.
The application works as a mobile phone wallet and verifies users’ age through one of five government-issued IDs.
Once verified, users then receive 30 “porn credits” with a validity of one month. These credits give them access to adult content. Furthermore, users can request extra credits.
Launch date
The mobile application will be available by the end of summer, reports said.
Although criticized by a group of activists and experts for its complexity, the Spanish government has defended the move. According to the government, the credit-based model is more privacy-friendly and ensures that online activities are not easy to trace.
It will be voluntary, as online platforms can rely on other available age verification methods to monitor inappropriate viewers.
The upcoming app is part of the broader effort to align with European Union law that comes into effect in October 2027. Ultimately, Spain’s porn passport will likely be replaced by the EU’s own digital identity system (eIDAS2).