At Xbox, we have a fundamental commitment to providing all players with a safe experience on the platform, and this is especially true for our youngest players. We iterate our safety measures frequently, working with feedback from our community, regulators and partners. We recently entered into a settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to update our account creation process and resolve data retention glitches found in our system. Unfortunately, we were not able to meet your expectations, but we are committed to following orders to continuously improve our safety measures. We believe we can and should do more, and remain steadfast in our commitment to the safety, privacy, and security of our community.
Our 20 years of security experience has shown us that all players want and need security and privacy protection. Since his 2005 launch of the first console to connect players online, we have continued to invest in tools and technology to protect our community. That effort has evolved into a multifaceted safety strategy. Our suite of safety, privacy and security measures are designed to respect the privacy and safety of our players and to ensure that not only players but also parents and caregivers are in control of their gaming experience.
Below we detail the changes we’ve made to verify your child’s account, but we’re not done with age verification. We believe there is an opportunity to further evolve accessible, easy-to-use, and secure digital experiences that benefit all players. We are innovating the next generation of identity and age verification. This is her one-time process that is convenient and safe for all players and will allow us to better deliver a customized, safe and age-appropriate experience. The long-term benefits will be felt by all players, especially children and their families. We believe this is the future, and we expect the gaming industry as a whole to do the same.
Over the next few months, we will be testing new ways to verify age and getting feedback from our customers’ experiences. Learnings from these trials translate directly into the advancement of the Player ID system. We have developed a principled approach to protecting digital identities that minimizes data collection, prioritizes security, and makes it easier for players to understand how their data is being used. We incorporate Microsoft insights from across industries to help
We will continue to put the player at the center, giving them complete control over their online experience and digital identity. We will continue to provide tools to help parents and caregivers better supervise their children’s and families’ gaming experiences, including: Xbox Family Settings App and child accounts. Child accounts are built for underage players and allow parents and guardians to manage settings, privacy, spending and more. We will continue to be as transparent and clear about the actions we take on our services as we did when we published our first and second transparency reports in May.
The Xbox community is our community and what we build together. As we innovate and test new experiences, we will work with the community to gather feedback so we can create safer gaming experiences together.
What the FTC Settlement Means for Players
We’ve updated our account creation process since the FTC settlement. This requires players to first identify their date of birth and, if under the age of 13, obtain verified parental consent before providing information such as a phone number or email her address. . This updated process instantly identifies potential child accounts, protects their child’s data, and gives parents and caregivers clarity on next steps to play safely online. Become.
In the coming months, players under the age of 13 who created an account before May 2021 will be required to re-consent from a parent. This means that parents are asked to double-check their accounts and give permission for their child to continue gameplay and activities on her Xbox. We are working to make this process as seamless as possible. We work to ensure that when parents are asked to re-consent, they have the information they need to continue without blocking their child’s access. Learn more about setting up child accounts. Please visit here.
During our investigation, we identified a technical glitch that prevented the system from deleting account creation data for child accounts whose account creation process had been initiated but not completed. This contradicted our policy that he only kept that information for 14 days to help the gamer pick up where they left off and complete the process. Our engineering team acted immediately to fix the defect, remove the data, and take action to prevent the error from reoccurring. Data was never used, shared or monetized.
To better explain what information we collect and how we use it, Microsoft Privacy Statement, which includes a dedicated section on how Xbox handles user data. The home screen has also been updated with a clearer link to the Microsoft Privacy Statement. This link also appears in each area of the Service where personal information is collected. Microsoft also provides privacy dashboard Share with your family what data is collected and used. Players can adjust their privacy settings at any time, and child accounts will default to the strongest privacy settings. Learn more about Xbox privacy features here. visit here.
Additional resources for families
We want all parents, caregivers and families to know that the safety and privacy of their children is our number one priority. We will continue to communicate the changes we are making to our practices and the data we collect so that we can better protect children using our platform. We also continue to explore creative ways to educate players about online safety.
At the “Safer Internet Day” the other day, Minecraft privacy geniusaims to teach young people how to protect their privacy and sensitive personal information. This world is the second chapter in the CyberSafe series, following last year’s release of Minecraft CyberSafe: Home Sweet Hmm, reaching millions of players with unprecedented downloads of supporting materials, It highlights the demand of teachers and families to teach these important skills and integrate a safer online. Practice every day. CyberSafe: Home Sweet Hmm and CyberSafe: Privacy Prodigy are both available for free in Minecraft: Education Edition and Minecraft Bedrock.
our latest Xbox family Hub shares information about creating family groups, managing your child’s account, and helping parents and caregivers understand the safety measures we have in place. Xbox Family Settings App.
To learn more about privacy, safety and responsible gaming from Microsoft, see the list of resources below.
