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Xbox surprised some of its users by changing its approach to age verification. Many players received a notification saying they no longer need to undergo additional verification to access certain features of the platform. Microsoft had earlier been gradually rolling out an age-verification system in different countries, which drew 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, how long the user has been part of the Xbox ecosystem.
Xbox changes its approach to age verification
As recently as a year ago Microsoft began rolling out age verification on Xbox in the United Kingdom, and similar measures have since appeared in other regions. Players were told they might be asked to verify their age in future to access certain parts of the platform's features. The primary aim of the age verification was to limit underage users' access to content intended for adults. The measure was not universally well received, however, because it required using additional methods of age confirmation. Now Xbox is apparently starting to move away from that model, at least for some users. Players are receiving messages in which Microsoft states that 'no further action is required'. This means specific people no longer have to go through the age-verification process that may previously have been necessary to use selected features. The company intends to determine a user's adulthood, among other things, based on their history within the Xbox ecosystem. One factor may be how long an account has been held and used with Microsoft's services. It's an interesting change, because it reduces the number of situations in which a user must provide additional information to external verification systems.
The requirement to verify age isn't being removed everywhere
However, the new approach does not mean that Microsoft has completely abandoned age verification on Xbox. In some countries, users may still be required to confirm their age, especially when accessing content labelled as for adults. An example is Australia, where Xbox is implementing mandatory age verification to access games rated 18+. At the same time, in other regions the system may treat an account as belonging to an adult without the need for an additional process. Microsoft has not publicly explained all the details of how the new mechanism works. It is known, however, that age may be estimated based on information associated with the account and its history. As a result, long-standing Xbox users may receive automatic age confirmation. This solution can be much more convenient than having to use verification services each time. That does not mean, however, that every holder of an older account will automatically be exempt from additional confirmation. The system may operate depending on the country, local regulations and the specific features the user wants to access. Xbox therefore appears to be seeking a compromise between protecting minors and the convenience of adult players. For now, however, it remains unclear whether the current change is a permanent solution or just another stage in Microsoft's testing.
Xbox is beginning to exempt some users from the obligation to verify their age, probably using information about their account history. This does not mean the system is ending entirely, as additional age confirmation is still required in some countries. The change could, however, be good news for long-standing users of the platform, who will not have to use external verification services.
source: purexbox
