IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

European "age verification" "app" forcing everyone to use Android or iOS

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Opposition to forced platform lock‑in

"Regardless of whether you personally use Android or iOS, I think that we can all agree that it is not right to be forced to use a specific platform in order to access almost any Internet services." — roundabout‑host

2. Concern over reliance on Google/Apple attestation

"There is really no justification around limiting the OS selection." — lexlambda

3. Skepticism about the motives and democratic legitimacy

"Well my concerns happen to be my constitutional rights." — marginalia_nu

🚀 Project Ideas

Generating project ideas…

[EU-OpenAge]

Summary

  • A cross‑platform SDK that lets any service verify a user’s age using verifiable credentials and WebAuthn, eliminating the need for Google Play or Apple App Attestation.
  • Core value: Privacy‑first, vendor‑agnostic age verification that works on any OS.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Developers of online platforms, regulators, EU‑member‑state IT teams
Core Feature Age verification via standard WebAuthn flows and EU eIDAS wallets
Tech Stack Rust backend, WebAssembly front‑end, PostgreSQL, Android/iOS via platform channels, Linux desktop GTK
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Subscription (€0.01 per verification)

Notes

  • HN users repeatedly call out “forced Android/iOS lock‑in” – this directly removes that requirement.
  • Sparks discussion on digital sovereignty and offers a practical alternative to the current mandatory attestation model.

[VeriMe]

Summary

  • A browser‑based age‑verification API that returns privacy‑preserving proof of age without any native app install.
  • Core value: Zero‑install, cross‑device verification that works on any website.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Web developers, SaaS providers, NGOs, EU service operators
Core Feature API endpoint that issues age‑proof tokens using eIDAS wallets and WebAuthn
Tech Stack Node.js/Express, Docker, PostgreSQL, OpenID Connect, WebAssembly crypto
Difficulty Low
Monetization Revenue-ready: Pay‑per‑use ($0.001 per verification)

Notes

  • Direct response to comments like “Why does it have to be a phone?” – verification happens entirely in the browser.
  • Addresses HN concerns about “digital exclusion” and the need for a solution that works on desktops and non‑mobile OSes.

[SovereignID Wallet]

Summary

  • An open‑source EU digital‑identity wallet that runs on Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and macOS, providing secure storage of age and identity credentials.
  • Core value: User‑controlled, sovereign identity that can be used for age verification without vendor lock‑in.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Citizens, government agencies, developers of public services
Core Feature Multi‑platform wallet supporting eIDAS credentials, offline storage, and selective disclosure
Tech Stack Kotlin Multiplatform, Flutter, React Native, Rust cryptography, SQLite
Difficulty High
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Mirrors HN calls for “European alternatives to US‑centric solutions” and “no one should be forced to use a specific platform”.
  • Provides a concrete implementation path for the kind of sovereign ID wallet discussed in the Hacker News thread, enabling age verification on any device.

Read Later