At Xbox, we have a fundamental commitment to providing a safe experience on our platform for all gamers, and that’s especially true for our youngest gamers. We regularly revise our security measures, in collaboration and with feedback from the community, regulators and partners. We recently reached a settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to update our account creation process and to fix a data retention error identified in our system. Regrettably, we have not met our customers’ expectations and we strive to comply with the order and continue to improve our security measures. We believe we can and should do more, and we will remain steadfast in our commitment to security, privacy and protection for our community.
Our two decades of security experience has taught us that all gamers want and need security and privacy. Ever since we launched the first console that could connect players online in 2005, we’ve continuously invested in tools and technology to keep our community safe. This work evolved into a multifaceted security strategy. Our suite of security, privacy and security measures are designed to respect player privacy and security, and to allow players and parents and carers to take control of their gaming experience.
Below we detail the changes we’ve made to child account verification. However, our work on age validation does not end here. We see an opportunity to further advance secure digital experiences that are accessible, easy to use and benefit all gamers. We innovate for next-generation identity and age validation – a convenient, secure and unique process for all players, enabling us to deliver more personalized, secure and age-appropriate experiences. The long-term benefits will be felt by all players, especially children and their families. And while we see that as the future, we anticipate that the same will be the case for the entire gaming industry.
In the coming months we will be testing new age validation methods and gathering feedback from our customers’ experiences. The findings from these tests will flow directly into the further development of our player identity systems. We integrate Microsoft insights from across industries to develop a principled approach to securing digital identities that minimizes data collection, prioritizes security, and makes it easier for gamers to understand how their data is being used.
We will continue to put players first, giving them full control over their online experiences and digital identities. We will continue to empower parents and carers to appropriately monitor their children’s and families’ gaming experience, in addition to tools like this Xbox Family Settings app and child accounts. Child accounts are created for underage players so parents and guardians can manage settings, privacy, spending, and more. We will continue to be transparent and clear about the actions we are taking in relation to our service, just as we were when we released our first Transparency Report and second Transparency Report in May.
The Xbox community is our community – one we create together. As we innovate and test new experiences, we work with the community to collect feedback so we can create a safer gaming experience together.
What the FTC agreement means for gamers
Since the FTC settlement, we have updated our account creation process, which now requires players to first provide their date of birth and, if under 13, obtain verified parental consent before providing us with information such as a phone number or email address communicate . This updated process ensures we can immediately identify potential child accounts and make it clear to parents and carers on the next steps to protecting their children’s privacy and playing safely on our network.
In the coming months, players under the age of 13 who created an account before May 2021 will need parental consent again. This means that a parent will be prompted to reverify the account and give their child permission to continue gaming and activity on Xbox. We strive to make this process as smooth as possible. We work hard to ensure that when prompted for re-consent, parents have the information they need to proceed without disrupting their child’s access. For more information on setting up a child account, click here Visit here.
During the investigation, we identified a technical error where our systems did not delete the account creation data for child accounts that started but did not complete the account creation process. This went against our policy of only retaining this information for 14 days to make it easier for players to pick up where they left off to complete the process. Our technical team took immediate action: we fixed the error, cleared the data and implemented measures to prevent the error from happening again. The data was never used, shared or monetized.
To explain more clearly what information we collect and how we use it, we have updated our Microsoft Privacy Policy, including a dedicated section on how Xbox processes user data. We’ve also updated our home screen to display a clearly marked link to the Microsoft Privacy Statement. This link also appears in every area of the Service where personal information is collected. Microsoft also offers one Privacy Dashboard which tells families what data is being collected and used. Players can adjust their privacy settings at any time, and child accounts are set to the strictest privacy settings by default. For more information about Xbox’s privacy features, click here Visit here.
Additional resources for families
We want all parents, carers and families to know that we care more about the safety and privacy of their children than anything else. We will continue to communicate the changes we make to our practices and the data we collect so we can better protect children who use our platform. We continue to look for creative ways to educate players about online safety.
We published last Safer Internet Day Minecraft’s privacy prodigyThe aim is to educate young people about data protection and the protection of their sensitive personal data. This World is the second chapter in the CyberSafe series, following last year’s release of Minecraft CyberSafe: Home Sweet Hmm, which is reaching millions of players with unprecedented downloads of support materials that underscore the need for teachers and families to teach these important skills and stay safer to integrate online practice daily. CyberSafe: Home Sweet Hmm and CyberSafe: Privacy Prodigy are both available free for Minecraft: Education Edition and Minecraft Bedrock.
Our updated Xbox family Hub shares information about creating a family group, managing child accounts, and helping parents and carers understand the security measures we put in place, such as: Xbox Family Settings app.
For more information on privacy, security, and responsible gaming from Microsoft, see the resource list below:
