• Planned EU KIDS Act focuses heavily on social media and puts Germany’s high level of youth protection in video games at risk
• USK age ratings could lose their role as a trusted guide for parents
• Proven system of co-regulation would be significantly weakened
• game – The German Games Industry Association calls for three amendments so that the EU KIDS Act better protects children and young people in games
Berlin, 9 November 2026 – The planned EU KIDS Act threatens to weaken rather than strengthen youth protection in video games, warns game – The German Games Industry Association. game supports the European Commission’s aim of better protecting children and young people online. However, the draft focuses heavily on social media, which differs fundamentally from games, and puts Germany’s established age rating system for games at risk. New European codes of conduct, for example, could override well-established national procedures. As a result, the same game could be rated 12+ in one store and 16+ on another platform. This undermines the important role that the age ratings of the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) play in guiding parents in Germany.
According to a recent survey of parents in Germany, 89 per cent see USK ratings as a reliable aid when choosing video games. The USK has been awarding age ratings for more than 30 years in cooperation with the Supreme Youth Protection Authorities of the German federal states, and continually refines its assessment criteria. In 2023, it became one of the first bodies worldwide to take interaction and usage risks into account, such as purchase incentives, loot boxes, pressure to play for extended periods and communication features. Germany is regarded as one of the countries with the highest level of youth protection in games, both in Europe and worldwide.
‘The European Commission is under enormous pressure to swiftly tighten youth protection rules on social media. In the process, the youth protection that works well for games is in danger of becoming collateral damage,’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. ‘The EU KIDS Act should make the proven USK and PEGI age ratings, which parents have trusted for decades, the standard for games in Europe. Games are not social networks, and they need their own rules. Children have a right to protection – and a right to play. To achieve this, the successful system of self-regulation must be strengthened, not weakened.’
To ensure that the EU KIDS Act better protects children and young people when they play, game is calling for the following:
Make proven age ratings the European standard
Age rating systems such as the USK in Germany and PEGI at European level are well established, familiar to parents and recognised by experts. In Germany, co-regulation is an acknowledged success story. The EU KIDS Act should build on this and safeguard the USK and PEGI, including their decision-making structures, rather than creating entirely new procedures. This way, age ratings will remain familiar to families and continue to evolve reliably alongside developments in media.
Regulate in a way that suits games and is risk-based
Games are a medium in their own right, with their own protective mechanisms. Social networks work differently and need different rules. Protection obligations and age checks should be based on actual risks and take existing self-regulation criteria into account.
Empower parents and safeguard participation
Parental controls on consoles, platforms and in games already give parents control over content, spending, communication and playing time. The EU KIDS Act should strengthen these tools so that parents can continue to decide for themselves what is right for their child. Blanket access restrictions must not disproportionately limit parental responsibility or the digital participation of children and young people.
game – The German Games Industry Association
We are the association of the German games industry. Our members represent the entire video game ecosystem, from development studios and publishers to esports event organisers, educational institutions and other related entities. We are co-organisers of gamescom, the world’s biggest event for video games. We are a shareholder in the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK), the Foundation for Digital Games Culture, the esports player foundation, game events and the collecting society VHG, as well as co-host of the German Computer Game Awards. Serving as a central point of contact for media, as well as political and social institutions, we provide comprehensive expertise in areas including market development, game culture and media literacy, and address any inquiries or concerns. Together we are making Germany the heart of gaming worldwide. With games, we enrich the lives of all people.