Teenagers are editing phone screens to bypass age checks
Minors in Estonia are using the state portal Eesti.ee to change their personal data in a web browser and thereby gain access to bars and clubs. The Information System Authority (RIA) is aware of the scheme but cannot do anything to stop it.
Programmer Krister Viirsaar said that any browser allows a phone user to change what appears on their screen. A browser lets users view and search web pages. Changing one's data this way does not mean anything changes in a database or state system — only the text displayed on the phone screen is altered.
If a minor decides to go to nightlife venues, they can change their personal identification code on Eesti.ee and pretend to be older. They then show the altered screen to a security guard, who may not notice anything is wrong.
Changing the data can take only ten seconds
Viirsaar said that on a computer, such data alteration can take just ten seconds. "I haven't tried it on a phone, but it's simple and does not qualify as hacking," he said. Instructions for doing it can easily be found online.
Veiko Raime, owner of Möku bar in Tallinn, said that although visitors generally present a physical ID, security staff also accept identity verification through the Eesti.ee portal.
Rumors about minors' schemes came as a surprise to him. "We don't turn a blind eye to this," he assured.
RIA's head of technology development, Õie‑Mari Aasmäe, explained that personal data on Eesti.ee is meant primarily for people to view their own information and use state e‑services. She added that the portal's web view is not intended for proving one's age or identity. It is also not permitted by law.
Eesti.ee is not allowed — but the Eesti app is
"Service providers such as shops, bars, or clubs should not use the state portal's web view on a person's phone as a document for proving identity or age," Aasmäe said.
If a visitor has left their ID card or passport at home, they can use the Eesti app, a national mobile application in which users cannot change their date of birth or age. Age verification in the app is based on a QR code.
However, using the Eesti app is voluntary for service providers. If a nightlife venue does not wish to check age through the app, it may ask the person to present a physical identity document.
Aasmäe said that showing personal data on a phone screen is essentially treated the same as stating it verbally.
Möku bar owner Raime noted that the entire issue with nightlife venues may stem from poor communication. Conversations with security staff revealed that they may not distinguish between Eesti.ee and the Eesti app.
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Editor: Argo Ideon
