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Xbox surprised some of its users by changing its approach to age verification. Many players received a message informing them that they no longer need to undergo additional verification to use certain platform features. Microsoft had previously been rolling out an age-check system across countries, which met with mixed reactions from the community. Now the company has apparently found a way to determine whether a user is of legal age without relying on external services. Interestingly, the system is said to take into account, among other things, the user's tenure in the Xbox ecosystem.
Xbox changes approach to age verification
About a year ago Microsoft began rolling out age verification on Xbox in the UK, and over time similar solutions appeared in other regions. Players were told they might be asked in future to confirm their age to access certain platform features. Age verification was primarily intended to limit minors' access to content meant for adults. The solution was not universally welcomed, however, because it required using additional methods to confirm age. Now Xbox appears to be moving away from that model, at least for some users. Players are receiving messages in which Microsoft states that "no further action is required". That means particular people no longer have to go through the age verification process that might previously have been necessary to use selected features. The company intends to determine a user's adulthood partly based on their history in the Xbox ecosystem. One factor may be how long they've had an account and used Microsoft services. It's an interesting change because it reduces the number of situations where a user has to provide extra information to external verification systems.
The need to confirm age doesn't disappear everywhere
The new approach doesn't mean, however, that Microsoft has completely given up age verification on Xbox. In some countries users may still be required to confirm they are of legal age, especially when accessing content marked as for adults. An example is Australia, where Xbox is rolling out mandatory age verification for access to games rated 18+. At the same time, in other regions the system may treat an account as belonging to an adult without an additional process. Microsoft has not publicly explained all the details of the new mechanism. It is known, however, that age may be estimated based on information tied to the account and its history. Because of that long-term Xbox users may be automatically confirmed as adults. This can be far more convenient than having to use verification services every time. That does not mean, however, that every holder of an older account will automatically be exempt from extra verification. The system may operate depending on the country, local regulations and the specific features the user wants to access. Xbox is apparently trying to strike a balance between protecting minors and the convenience of adult players. For now it remains unclear whether the current change is a permanent solution or just another phase of Microsoft's testing.
Xbox is beginning to exempt some users from the requirement to verify their age, likely using information from their account history. This does not mean the system is ending completely, as in some countries additional age confirmation is still required. The change could, however, be good news for long-time users of the platform, who won't have to rely on external verification services.
source: purexbox
