The EU's new age-verification app, launched April 16 by Commission President von der Leyen as 'technically ready,' has critical security flaws that allow hackers to bypass authentication in under 2 minutes and access unprotected user data. Multiple independent security researchers confirmed the vulnerabilities — authentication can be defeated by editing local files, biometric checks can be skipped, and sensitive passport data is stored unencrypted on phones. The Commission initially defended the app while calling it a 'demo,' then acknowledged security issues exist but stood by its readiness claim, creating a credibility gap as the app rolls out to EU member states amid political pressure to regulate kids' social media access.