Reasoning:

• The European Union has not stated that the new verification system cannot be bypassed via VPN. In fact, EU officials have explicitly acknowledged the opposite—that VPNs can bypass the system¹.
• European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen stated at a press conference that users could circumvent the system through VPNs and suggested preventing such workarounds might be a "next step" for future examination¹.
• When asked directly about preventing VPN bypasses, Virkkunen acknowledged that "no technology is foolproof"¹.
• Her office later clarified that the objective is to make safeguards "more difficult to bypass—not to prohibit VPNs" and that there is "absolutely no crackdown on VPNs"¹.
• An EU Parliamentary Research Service briefing noted that current age assurance measures "are relatively easy for minors to bypass" and identified VPNs as a "loophole" in existing child-protection legislation¹.
• The claim also misrepresents the EU's digital identity initiative by using the term "digital passport." The EU introduced the EU Digital Identity Wallet under eIDAS 2.0, which is a voluntary system, not a mandatory requirement for internet access².

Overall validity: 5%

1. The European Union has explicitly stated that the new verification system cannot be bypassed via VPN.
2. The European Union announced that every citizen will soon be required to have a digital passport to access the internet.