Microsoft has begun asking Xbox users in the UK to verify their age in order to continue accessing the platform’s full range of social features.
The move is in response to the UK’s sweeping Online Safety Act, though Microsoft has said it anticipates making similar changes in other countries in future.
Currently, the age verification requests are limited to accounts already flagged as belonging to owners aged 18 and over within the UK — and for now, the process is optional. But this will change in “early 2016”, Microsoft says, when accounts that have not been verified will lose access to Looking for Group functions and custom clubs, and be limited to voice and text communication, party functionality and game invites, plus “user-generated content” (including the Activity Feed) just amongst Xbox friends. Integration with Discord will be disabled, as will the ability to broadcast to Twitch.
“Age verification is a new feature being introduced for players logging into an Xbox experience with Microsoft accounts based in the UK,” the company wrote in a just-published Q&A. “It helps ensure that we can continue to provide players on our platform with age-appropriate experiences and keep the Xbox community safe.
“If you have an existing account or are setting up a new one, you may be asked to verify your age using Yoti, a trusted and secure third-party identity verification service.”
Yoti is one of the common age verification services now being used by companies operating within the UK to ensure users accessing social features or adult content are old enough to do so. The past week has seen a swathe of platforms suddenly requiring their users to now verify their age — from bespoke adult websites, to social media platforms such as reddit and Bluesky.
According to Xbox’s Q&A, users will need to either provide a live photo, a mobile number to check your age via your phone network, a credit card, or a photo of a government-issued ID — including a passport, driving licence or national ID card.
“Whether a player verifies their age will not affect any previous purchases, entitlements, gameplay history, achievements, or the ability to play and purchase games,” Xbox vice president of gaming trust and safety Kim Kunes said, “however we encourage players to verify their age via this one-time process now to avoid uninterrupted use of social features on Xbox in the future.
“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,” Kunes continued. “We expect to roll out age verification processes to more regions in the future.”
While Xbox is the first of the major console platform holders to discuss its plans to comply with the UK’s Online Safety Act, it seems only a matter of time before PlayStation, Nintendo and other gaming companies publish similar requirements.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
