Microsoft is implementing age verification for Xbox users, in compliance with the UK’s new Online Safety Act.
From today, players aged 18 and over based in the UK and accessing Xbox with a Microsoft account will be encouraged to verify their age. This, Microsoft said, is a one-time process to ensure access to age-appropriate experiences.
Then, starting early next year, age verification will be required for players in the UK to retain full access to Xbox social features, such as game invites and communication via voice and text. Without age verification, use of social features will be limited to friends only.
Microsoft has detailed the process on Xbox Wire, including a QR code to scan to begin the age verification process away from a console. Secure methods include proof of government-issued ID, age estimation, mobile provider check, and credit card check.
“As this age verification process rolls out across the UK, we’ll continue to evaluate how we can keep players around the world safe and learn from the UK process,” reads the Xbox Wire post from Xbox vice president of gaming trust and safety Kim Kunes.
“We expect to roll out age verification processes to more regions in the future. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to player safety, so these methods may look different across regions and experiences. We’ll work with local communities, publishing partners and regulators to determine the right approach that both respects player privacy and doesn’t take away from the Xbox gameplay experience. We’ll continue to communicate the changes we’re making to our practices and the data we collect so we can better protect players on our platform.”
Xbox advises parents and caregivers to set up child or teen accounts, which do not require age verification and allow for gaming activities to be managed appropriately, including screentime and spending limits.
At present, Sony and Nintendo have not implemented similar measures. Eurogamer has contacted both companies for details on how they will comply with the new UK Act.
Roblox recently implemented new safety features to ensure it’s compliant, including a new age estimation tool.
“Safety has always been foundational to everything we do at Roblox, and we’ve spent nearly two decades building advanced safety tools,” a Roblox spokesperson told Eurogamer. “Our Community Standards prohibit various types of content including content defined as harmful to children under the OSA. For some time, we’ve made certain features accessible only to ID-verified users over the age of 17.
“Two weeks ago, as part of our global roadmap to deliver age-appropriate content and features, we introduced a new facial age estimation tool, which unlocks access for users 13 and over to communicate more freely with people they know and trust – adding to a suite of more than 40 recent safety updates, such as updated parental controls and communications restrictions for our youngest users, which we have rolled out over the past 12 months.
“We take our legal obligations seriously and are working hard on the assessment and implementation of the Children’s Code and will continue to engage with Ofcom.”
Years in the making, the UK’s Online Safety Act came into effect last Friday. Its aim is to make the internet safer, especially for children, which will impact social media, video-sharing platforms, and video games.
To find out how the UK’s Online Safety Act will impact the games industry, Eurogamer spoke with the experts.