Epic Games employs a multi-faceted approach to determine a user's age, primarily combining self-declaration with advanced verification technologies and parental oversight to ensure compliance with legal requirements and content appropriateness.
Initial Age Input
When a user first creates an account or accesses certain content on Epic Games platforms, they are typically prompted to enter their date of birth. This initial declaration serves as the foundational step in age assessment, allowing the system to apply age-appropriate settings and restrictions from the outset.
Parental Consent and Account Management for Minors
For users identified as minors based on their declared age, Epic Games implements robust measures to involve parents or guardians:
- Parental Consent: Minors often require a parent or guardian's consent to fully utilize an Epic Games account. This process can involve the parent creating their own account and linking it to the child's, or providing explicit approval through a verified method.
- Kids Web Accounts: Epic Games offers specialized "Kids Web Accounts" designed for younger players, which come with default privacy and security settings. These accounts have limited features to ensure a safer online environment. You can learn more about managing these accounts through the Epic Games Support pages (link is illustrative).
- Parental Controls: Parents can utilize comprehensive Parental Controls (link is illustrative) to manage various aspects of their child's gaming experience, including:
- Setting spending limits.
- Controlling access to games based on age ratings (ESRB, PEGI, etc.).
- Managing friend requests and communication settings.
- Reviewing play time.
Advanced Age Verification Technologies
To enhance the accuracy of age verification and comply with regional regulations, Epic Games also leverages advanced technological solutions:
Facial Scan Verification
In many countries, excluding the US and South Korea, Epic Games may utilize Face Scan verification. This technology operates by:
- Scanning Facial Features: Using the camera on your phone, laptop, or tablet to scan unique facial characteristics.
- Age Estimation: An AI-powered system analyzes these features to estimate your age with a high degree of precision.
- Privacy: This process is designed to be quick and respectful of privacy, typically not storing identifiable biometric data after the verification is complete.
This method helps to confirm that a user's declared age aligns with their physical appearance, providing an additional layer of security for accessing age-restricted content or features.
Why Age Verification is Crucial
Accurate age determination is vital for several key reasons:
- Legal Compliance: Adhering to international and regional data privacy laws, such as GDPR and COPPA, which have specific requirements for handling minors' personal data.
- Content Suitability: Ensuring that players are exposed to games and content appropriate for their age rating, promoting a safe and enjoyable experience.
- Child Protection: Safeguarding younger users from inappropriate interactions, online predation, and exposure to mature themes.
- Empowering Parents: Providing parents with the necessary tools and information to oversee and manage their children's online gaming activities responsibly.
Epic Games' combination of declared age, parental oversight, and advanced verification technologies creates a comprehensive system to know and act upon user age information.
Summary of Age Verification Methods
| Method | Description | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Age Input | User manually provides their date of birth during account setup. | Establishes a baseline for age and initial restrictions. |
| Parental Consent | Guardian approval required for minors, often involving linked accounts or explicit verification. | Ensures legal compliance and enables parental controls. |
| Face Scan Verification | Utilizes device camera to estimate age from facial features (outside US/South Korea). | Provides an enhanced, privacy-preserving age confirmation for restrictions. |
