Video Games Europe statement on the EU KIDS Act announcement

We share the European Commission's commitment to keeping children safe online. 

PEGI was created at the request of the EU Commission to establish a harmonised pan European game information system¹.  It is a success story used in 40 countries throughout Europe.  

While we welcome the recognition of the industry-led self and co regulatory systems (PEGI and USK) - we call for these to become the de facto standard for games made available in Europe. 

Video games are cultural products. Children’s right to protection must be respected as well as children’s right to play, access to culture and leisure. We caution against sweeping age assurance measures applicable to every game and player in Europe. This would depart from the risk-based approach adopted in the DSA Article 28 Guidelines.  

Video Games Europe support default off settings for certain features and believe that parents should be empowered in their role to grant their children access to games according to the maturity of the child. This approach balances the responsibility of our industry to keep their services safe, and the role parents play in considering the specific situation of their child. This respects the principles of protection, privacy, and proportionality.   

We call for a public consultation process and will review the proposal carefully and will engage constructively with the European institutions. 

¹ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/protection-of-video-game-users.html