The UK government has confirmed that it intends to put restrictions on in-game voice chat for under-16s in games in the near future, but not everyone is pleased.
In-game voice chat has long been a way for gamers to get one over on their opponents. Even with a rise in third-party apps like Discord and TeamSpeak, players still flock to game chat to mock their enemies.
However, in the UK, that is likely to be restricted for anyone under the age of 16 as part of the under-16s social media ban that will come into effect in the spring.
“We will then bring forward a host of regulations on features and functions, including stranger communications, which is the biggest problem with Roblox, and some of the other issues that hon. Members have raised,” Ian Murray, the UK Government’s Online Safety Minister, told a debate on November 2.
“That will allow gamers to continue to have the functionality of stranger pairing, but without the ability to talk to strangers in a gaming context. That should resolve some of these issues.”
Gamers hit back at UK’s plans to ban in-game voice chat
As per Gamer’s Voice, the new proposal would “require all gamers to prove their age in order to access communication features,” similar to how some nations deal with in-game gambling features.
“Gaming isn’t simply another form of social media. When young people join a gaming guild, work together in a team or make friends through a shared hobby, they are participating in a social activity that can be enormously positive,” Tom Shannon, spokesperson for Gamer’s Voice, said.
UnsplashGame chat could be even more restricted.
These plans have been in the offing since May, with games like Roblox already rolling out new safety features ahead of the crackdown.
The UK’s social media ban is similar to the rules implemented by Australia – which was the first country to issue such a ban – with under-16s having restricted access to several high-profile social media platforms.
As noted, age verification systems already exist in different games, as well as on different platforms, but people have found ways around them. That includes scanning Death Stranding’s Sam Porter Bridges’ face instead of their own, seeing as the character looks so realistic.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
