Grand Theft Auto 6 is probably the most anticipated video game of all time. Despite that, it has been ten years since Rockstar Games released GTA V and the sequel still does not have a release date. Now, news about the ESRB’s use of “facial recognition” technology has set the rumour mill ablaze with people asking: will kids be able to play GTA 6?
The speculation stems from a report that revealed that the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) is partnering with Yoti, a digital identity company, to use Privacy-Protective Facial Age Estimation to verify the age of users.
This sparked concerns that games rated as appropriate only for older audiences will be inaccessible to kids.
The Grand Theft Auto series has long been at the heart of the debate around the impact that video games have on children and their behaviour. However, it has always been up to parents to decide if their children can play games like GTA.
So, what does the new facial age verification technology mean for gaming and will kids be able to play GTA 6?
Will kids be able to play GTA 6?
Will kids be able to play GTA 6? The new facial age estimation technology will not stop children from being able to play GTA 6, the ESRB has confirmed. As always, it will be down to parents to decide if their child can play the upcoming Grand Theft Auto game.
In a statement to IGN, the ESRB addressed the rumours that Yoti’s age verification software would stop children from being able to access more mature content.
“First and foremost, this application is not to authorize the use of this technology with children. Full stop… Furthermore, this [FTC] application makes no mention of using age estimation to prevent children from purchasing and/or downloading restrictively rated video games, nor do we intend to recommend its use in that way.”
They added, “Nor does this software take and store “selfies” of users or attempt to confirm the identity of users.”
To summarise, the software is not intended to stop kids from accessing games appropriate for mature audiences. Instead, the ESRB’s application wants to use it as a privacy safeguard to ensure that only parents can give consent for data collection and sharing.
Under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), companies must “obtain verifiable parental consent (VPC) before collecting, using, or sharing any personal information from children under the age of 13,” they explained.
Whether this system will impact the availability of online games/modes is unclear.
In the application, the ESRB recommended that “the age threshold be set at 25 to prevent teenagers or older-looking children from pretending to be a parent.”
What do you think to the ESRB’s new facial age verification application? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
