UK Online Safety Act impacts Gamers On Microsoft Xbox, Sony Playstation and Nintendo Switch

13 Aug UK Online Safety Act impacts Gamers On Microsoft Xbox, Sony Playstation and Nintendo Switch

This week in cybersecurity from the editors at Cybercrime Magazine

Sausalito, Calif. – Aug. 13, 2025

– Listen to the Podcast

Microsoft just lately shared particulars about how the UK Online Safety Act (OSA) will impression Xbox’s social options, which is able to now require age verification.

Xbox’s VP of gaming belief and security Kim Kunes announced that their compliance program has began and any UK-based participant who signifies their account age as 18 and over will start seeing notifications encouraging them to confirm their age. Starting in early 2026, age verification will probably be required to retain full entry to social options on Xbox, together with voice and textual content chat, in addition to recreation invitations.

The OSA applies to all gaming platforms, together with consoles, PC-based methods, and Mobile gaming apps. Sony Playstation, Nintendo Switch, Steam, Epic Games, and different main manufacturers have responded to the OSA.

Charlie Osborne, our London-based Editor-at-Large, just lately got here on the Cybercrime Magazine Podcast to discuss the OSA, which kicked in with full effect Jul. 25 – and wherever you’re on the planet, in case your video games goal UK customers, or are even ‘likely’ to be performed by kids within the UK, you’re legally obligated to conform.

Listen to the Podcast Episode

---

Cybercrime Magazine is Page ONE for Cybersecurity. Go to any of our sections to learn the most recent:

• SCAM. The newest schemes, frauds, and social engineering assaults being launched on shoppers globally.

• NEWS. Breaking protection on cyberattacks and knowledge breaches, and the latest privateness and safety tales.

• HACK. Another group will get hacked daily. We inform you who, what, the place, when, and why.

• VC. Cybersecurity enterprise capital deal circulation with the most recent funding exercise from numerous sources all over the world.

• M&A. Cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions together with massive tech, pure cyber, product distributors {and professional} providers.

• BLOG. What’s occurring at Cybercrime Magazine. Plus the tales that don’t make headlines (however perhaps they need to).

• PRESS. Cybersecurity trade information and press releases in actual time from the editors at Business Wire.

• PODCAST. New episodes every day on the Cybercrime Magazine Podcast function victims, regulation enforcement, distributors, and cybersecurity consultants.

• RADIO. Tune into WCYB Digital Radio at Cybercrime.Radio, the primary and solely round the clock web radio station dedicated to cybersecurity.

Contact us to ship story suggestions, suggestions and ideas, and for sponsorship alternatives and customized media productions.