The UK government is considering extending online communication restrictions for minors to video games. Online Safety Minister Ian Murray stated that the government will advance regulations targeting specific features, and users under 16 may be unable to converse with strangers in games in the future.
According to Ian Murray, the relevant restrictions will not remove the random matchmaking feature for strangers. Players can still be randomly matched, but users under 16 will not be able to chat with strangers in-game. Roblox and similar services are listed as areas of concern.
Ian Murray stated that some harm stems from vulnerable users moving from game environments to other platforms, where they are then groomed and exploited. The government plans to pass a social media ban for users under 16 before the New Year, with implementation scheduled for the following spring, while in-game stranger communication will be addressed by subsequent functional regulations.
The methods for verifying age restrictions have also raised concerns regarding privacy and costs. The article's author believes that related measures may require users to prove their age through ID documents, facial scans, or credit cards, and small developers might disable chat functions in the UK region due to verification costs. However, these are merely the author's analyses; the government has not yet announced final technical requirements, the scope of applicable games, verification standards, exemption conditions, or the official enforcement date.