New age license plate for digital games: a milestone in youth protection!
New age license plate for digital games: a milestone in youth protection!
The digital game world will experience an important step in Germany in Germany from April 1, 2025. The Ministry of Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Escape and Integration (MKJFGFI) has introduced an automated system for age identification of digital games. This system is based on the standards of the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) and is recognized nationwide. This makes it possible for providers of digital content to efficiently meet the requirements for youth protection.
The innovations are particularly important for providers of online and digital games, since the USK (entertainment software self-control) ensures that all games that are sold to minors or publicly show must have a valid age license plate. In addition, since the amendment of the youth protection law, the obligation to identify the age also applies to online game platforms. Minister of Minister Josefine Paul emphasizes the importance of youth protection in the digital space, while Elisabeth Secker, managing director of the USK, describes the recognition of the IARC system as a decisive progress for the legal certainty of online platforms. With regard to the safety of players, there are also further developments in the USK lead criteria. On December 13, 2024, the USK advisory board decided to expand the leading criteria for the youth protection law examination of digital games. This is done on the basis of new findings from saying practice, which takes into account two years of review and experience in relation to risks through chats, loot boxes and purchase functions. USK that has already been used in the age frame since January 2023 and a third the tested games with corresponding risks receive higher ages. Elisabeth Secker emphasizes the positive effect of the updated leading criteria on the age label. The USK is viewed internationally as advanced in the area of youth protection in digital plays. The continuous evaluation and adaptation of the leading criteria takes place every two years by an advisory board, which consists of 15 members, including media educators, representatives of youth organizations and youth protection experts. This way of working ensures that the USK reacts to changes and new challenges in the digital game sector. The new age assessment system, which corresponds to IARC, should offer parents and pedagogical specialists a reliable orientation. Providers of digital games are obliged to fill out an online questionnaire that collects important information on content-relevant content and potential usage risks. USK explains that the expansion of the criteria also introduced new information for parents and specialists, including warnings of "printing for multiplaying" and "increased purchase incentives. The measures that are taken as part of these reforms aim to create a family -friendly and safe game environment that protects both children and parents. The USK thus remains a relevant institution that not only takes care of the age classification, but also actively contributes to media education and offers parent advisors and other support offers. Expansion of the USK control criteria
Family -friendly and safe game environment
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Quellen | |