Video Games Europe Position Paper: Preventing and combating child sexual abuse online
Executive Summary
Every child has the right to be respected, protected and empowered online and offline. Children have the right to play, to create and to actively participate in the community through digital inclusion and, importantly, children have the right to protection and privacy.
With more than 52% of Europe’s population playing video games across all age groups, and with playing video games being a popular pastime for children, the video game industry is committed to a fun and safe video game play environment.
Online video game play is among the safest online activities that children can participate in. Most video games do not allow interactivity outside the game play environment, and the in-game communications, i.e. chat functionality, utilise a range of tools to protect players, depending on the risk. Developed over a period of more than twenty years, the video game sector has a solid framework prioritising minor protection, based on its commitment to keep online gameplay interaction free from illegal content and content that may be inappropriate for children.
This paper explains:
(i) what type of online interactions occur in videogames
(ii) how the video game industry prioritises children’s online safety, and
(iii) our recommendations to the Commission’s proposal.