Gaming
EU Kids Act could bring age checks to some online games
Proposed rules would require platforms to verify users’ ages for games deemed risky to minors
MUMBAI: Game on, but not without showing your age. The proposed EU Kids Act could introduce mandatory age verification for users accessing certain online services, including online games considered risky to minors, if the legislation passes the European Parliament.
The legislation, which has been under discussion for more than a year, is aimed at protecting children from potential harm online and is expected to introduce age-related restrictions across services including social media, artificial intelligence tools and certain gaming platforms.
Documents obtained by Euractiv reportedly state that social media and video-sharing platforms would be required to conduct age verification when users create new accounts. The proposed requirements could also extend to AI chatbots and “online games that are risky to minors”.
The rules are not expected to cover industrial AI, office-focused AI products or educational online services, according to the reported documents.
For gamers, that distinction could still have significant consequences. Depending on how the legislation defines games that pose risks to minors, players could have to prove their age before accessing certain titles or online gaming services.
The EU proposal comes amid a wider push by governments and technology companies towards age assurance. PlayStation began rolling out age-verification checks in the UK and Ireland in April for certain network features, including voice chat, messaging and streaming. Depending on the country or region, users can verify their age through a facial scan, mobile number or identification document.
Australia has taken a different route. Earlier this month, Steam introduced proof-of-age verification for players seeking access to R18+ games, with Australian credit cards being used as the verification method. That requirement could create problems for adult users who do not have access to an Australian card.
Steam tells affected users that Valve is required under Australia’s Age-Restricted Material App Distribution Services Code to verify that they are 18 or older before allowing access to mature content.
The debate, however, extends well beyond gaming. Age verification has become a flashpoint in the wider argument over online child safety, privacy and how much personal information platforms should collect to establish a user’s age.
The US currently has no federal legislation requiring online platforms to introduce age verification, although several states have adopted their own measures.
Even technology companies have found the issue difficult to navigate. Discord paused plans for a global age-verification rollout after a security incident involving a third-party customer service provider exposed around 70,000 images of users’ government IDs, adding another layer to concerns over the privacy risks associated with proving one’s age online.
The EU Kids Act therefore places the gaming industry at the intersection of two increasingly urgent demands: keeping minors away from unsuitable content while avoiding age-check systems that create new privacy and security risks.
If approved, the rules could make “How old are you?” more than a routine sign-up question for European gamers, it could become the ticket to getting into the game.
