At Xbox, we’re dedicated to offering gamers with a protected and safe expertise on our platform. Since launching our first ever gaming console that would join gamers on-line in 2005, we’ve continued to put money into state-of-the-art instruments and applied sciences to guard the Xbox group. Over greater than 20 years of expertise, we’ve developed a multifaceted security, privateness, and safety strategy that options built-in security measures, respects participant privateness, and empowers gamers, mother and father, and caregivers to have management over their gaming experiences.
We often iterate on these security measures in collaboration with our group, publishing companions, and {industry} regulators to make sure we’re offering our gamers with the most secure attainable expertise. Starting immediately, as a part of our compliance program for the UK On-line Security Act and our ongoing investments in instruments and applied sciences that assist guarantee age-appropriate experiences, gamers who point out their account age as 18 and over, primarily based within the UK, and signing into an Xbox expertise with a Microsoft account will start seeing notifications encouraging them to confirm their age. This one-time course of for gamers within the UK ensures we are able to proceed to supply all gamers on our platform with age-appropriate experiences.
Beginning early subsequent yr, age verification will likely be required for these gamers within the UK to retain full entry to social options on Xbox, reminiscent of voice or textual content communication and sport invitations. Gamers who don’t confirm their age between now and early 2026 can proceed to play and luxuriate in Xbox. Nevertheless, beginning early subsequent yr, their use of social options on Xbox will change into restricted to buddies solely till they full the age verification course of. Whether or not a participant verifies their age won’t have an effect on any earlier purchases, entitlements, gameplay historical past, achievements, or the power to play and buy video games, nevertheless we encourage gamers to confirm their age through this one-time course of now to keep away from uninterrupted use of social options on Xbox sooner or later.
Adults within the UK can start the age verification course of now on their cell gadget by scanning the QR code to then left, or by clicking this hyperlink: https://aka.ms/XboxUKAgeVerification
Gamers preferring to confirm through net can start the method by signing into their Microsoft account at https://aka.ms/XboxUKAgeVerification.
There are a number of simple and safe strategies for age verification that gamers can select from, together with proof of government-issued ID, age estimation, cell supplier verify, and bank card verify. The data gamers present in the course of the age verification course of is protected with industry-standard encryption and isn’t saved or used for every other function. Further details about the age verification course of, together with step-by-step directions, the choices gamers have for verifying their age, and the way participant information is stored personal and safe, is offered at aka.ms/XboxUKAgeSupport.
The Way forward for Security at Xbox Globally
As this age verification course of rolls out throughout the UK, we’ll proceed to guage how we are able to hold gamers around the globe protected and be taught from the UK course of. We count on to roll out age verification processes to extra areas sooner or later. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to participant security, so these strategies could look completely different throughout areas and experiences. We’ll work with native communities, publishing companions and regulators to find out the precise strategy that each respects participant privateness and doesn’t take away from the Xbox gameplay expertise. We’ll proceed to speak the adjustments we’re making to our practices and the info we accumulate so we are able to higher shield gamers on our platform.
Further Sources
We encourage mother and father and caregivers of youngsters or teenagers who use an Xbox console to arrange youngster or teen accounts, which don’t require age verification and permit them to handle gaming actions like screentime, spending limits, privateness and content material settings, and extra utilizing the Xbox Household Settings app. You may be taught extra at www.xbox.com/en-US/family-hub or take a look at the Xbox Gaming Security Toolkit to learn extra about how caregivers can help safer gaming.
For extra data on Microsoft privateness, security, and accountable gaming, please see the beneath record of sources:
