PEGI Updates Age Ratings & Warns Against Age Verification “Silver Bullets”
Europe’s video game rating system, PEGI, cautioned against relying on age verification as a simple solution to protecting children online, as the organization prepares to implement a revised rating system in June.
The updated PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) classifications will now consider factors beyond violent content, including in-game purchases, features designed to encourage prolonged play and the presence of unrestricted communication with strangers, according to a recent interview with PEGI Director General Dirk Bosmans by Agence France-Presse.
Bosmans emphasized that a “silver bullet” approach to child protection is unrealistic, particularly regarding automated age verification systems. He noted concerns raised by data protection organizations and stressed the necessitate for careful consideration before widespread implementation. “We first need to have a really good conversation before we start deciding on where to apply it,” Bosmans said.
The new ratings will not be retroactively applied to existing popular titles such as “Fortnite” and “League of Legends,” but will be used for all new releases starting in June. Bosmans indicated that PEGI is developing a strategy for addressing “live service” games – those that receive continuous updates – as these present unique challenges for consistent rating accuracy.
PEGI, established in 2003, currently harmonizes age classifications across most European countries, with Germany maintaining its own independent system. The system is voluntarily adopted by major console manufacturers – Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft – as well as Google’s app store. Apple employs its own rating system, even as Steam, the dominant PC gaming platform based in the United States, has not yet implemented one.
The update to PEGI’s approach comes amid increasing “regulatory pressure” from the European Union, Bosmans stated. This pressure is reflected in broader digital regulation efforts, including a draft law in France that would prohibit individuals under 15 from accessing social media platforms – a measure that could extend to online games with social features like “Roblox”. The French law, if passed, would require age verification starting in 2027.
Bosmans also voiced opposition to outright bans on games for younger children, a proposal recently considered by French President Emmanuel Macron. He argued that bans are “not very nuanced” and recalled that PEGI was created to avoid such restrictive measures. He cited Australia, where a social media ban for those under 16 has reportedly led to children seeking ways to circumvent the rules, sometimes with parental assistance.
“You can try all kinds of technical or legal methods to enforce PEGI ratings. If in the end parents decide, no, my 13-year-old is going to play this 16 [rated] game, it doesn’t change anything,” Bosmans said. He underscored the crucial role of parental involvement, stating that attempts to protect children without parental consent are likely to be ineffective.
Bosmans indicated that companies within the gaming sector have welcomed the updated PEGI classifications, recognizing that a stronger and more refined system provides better protection against overly simplistic or reactive regulatory interventions.