Katarzyna Petru
Rockstar is gearing up for big changes in GTA Online – and not of its own accord. Due to new legislation regarding “digital safety” in the UK, the publisher has been forced to implement age verification mechanisms for players. For now, this only pertains to the UK, but the changes could quickly extend to other European countries. Data miner Tez2 and the RockstarIntel service have published screenshots from a menu that requires age confirmation before launching online mode. Players will see a screen prompting them for verification, and if they do not pass it successfully – they will not be able to enter the game.
ChooseTV and AI algorithms will check your ID
Although we don't yet have an official announcement from Rockstar, leaks clearly suggest that the verification will be based on submitting a photo of your ID. The whole process will be analysed by a platform powered by artificial intelligence algorithms, integrated directly with GTA Online. This means that every player will need to prove their age to continue using the online mode. This is the first time a major title has enforced such a security measure – and all indications are that it won't be the last.
Changes first in the UK, then across Europe?
The new rules currently apply only to players from the United Kingdom, but similar regulations are also being prepared in France, Spain, Denmark, Greece, and Italy. This could mean that Rockstar is preparing a universal verification system for all of Europe. At this moment, it is unclear whether verification will also appear in GTA 6, but it is hard to imagine that the new installment of the series will avoid this revolution. Times are coming when logging into the game will require not only an email and password – but also a valid identification proving you are of legal age.
