The EU Kids Act is set to be presented to the European Parliament on Thursday. If approved, it will significantly impact gamers across various age groups who wish to access specific types of games. This proposed legislation aims to protect children online, establishing age limits for access to social media, AI tools, and gaming platforms after extensive discussions over the past year.
According to documents from Euractiv, the Act will mandate age verification for users opening new accounts on social media and video-sharing sites. This requirement will also apply to AI chatbots and “online games that are risky to minors.” However, industrial AI, office products, and educational services are expected to be exempt.
This follows recent trends in age verification, such as PlayStation‘s rollout of checks in the UK and Ireland, which involve methods like facial scans and ID validation to access certain features. In Australia, Steam now requires proof of age for games rated R18+, but with limitations on acceptable methods, such as using only Australian credit cards.
Currently, there is no federal legislation enforcing age verification in the U.S., though some state laws exist. The debate over online privacy and safety for children remains contentious, further highlighted by Discord’s pause on global age verification plans following a security breach involving user IDs.
Virginia Glaze, as the News Editor at IGN, emphasizes the ongoing discussions surrounding child safety and privacy in the gaming world.
