Game, the German Games Industry Association, has warned that the EU KIDS Act – which was unveiled in draft form in September and which is likely to have sweeping repercussions for game developers – could override well-established age-rating systems at the national level.
Germany currently uses the USK age-rating system for video games, while the PEGI age-rating system is used across most of Europe. Game suggests that new European-wide codes of conduct brought in under the act could result in the same game being rated 12+ in one store and 16+ in another, undermining the role of USK.
The KIDS Act is primarily aimed at social networks, and proposes a social-media ban for children under the age of 13, as well as restrictions on social media for those under 15. But the act also carries major implications for online games, and it includes a provision on codes of conduct for age rating, which goes beyond the existing framework and is more binding.
Game is calling for the EU KIDS Act to safeguard and build on the existing USK and PEGI structures, rather than creating entirely new procedures. The USK system was overhauled in 2023 to take into account features such as loot boxes and online communication when awarding age ratings, and the PEGI system was amended along similar lines earlier this year, with games featuring loot boxes being automatically rated as 16+.
“The European Commission is under enormous pressure to swiftly tighten youth protection rules on social media. In the process, the youth protection that works well for games is in danger of becoming collateral damage,” said Felix Falk, managing director of Game, in a press statement.
“The EU KIDS Act should make the proven USK and PEGI age ratings, which parents have trusted for decades, the standard for games in Europe. Games are not social networks, and they need their own rules. Children have a right to protection – and a right to play. To achieve this, the successful system of self-regulation must be strengthened, not weakened.”
In addition to calling for the KIDS Act to build on the current USK and PEGI standards, Game has called for video games to be treated differently to social networks, with protection obligations and age checks based on actual risks, taking self-regulation criteria into account.
The German association further suggested that the EU KIDS Act should strengthen existing parental controls in games and platforms so that parents can continue to decide for themselves what is right for their child. The body warned that any blanket access restrictions must not disproportionately limit parental responsibility or the digital participation of children and young people.