The European government is all set to bring in new regulations to safeguard gamers

The committee proposed a child impact study on the topic may be necessary

This week, the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee of the European Parliament asked for a set of EU-wide regulations to safeguard gamers. The committee endorsed a new report advocating for improved consumer protections, particularly with loot boxes and kids, in a vote with broad support (35 votes for, none against, and 3 abstentions). The committee demanded that information regarding game content, in-game purchase rules, and target age groups be easily accessible, similar to PEGI ratings, and that parents have effective control over how much time and money their kids spend playing video games.

The committee proposed a child impact study on the topic may be necessary. With regard to loot boxes in particular, the committee wants "to ensure game creators avoid addiction-feeding design and take into account the age, rights, and vulnerabilities of children." The investigation of gold farming and the buying and selling of virtual goods for real money was also requested, with an eye on any potential connections to financial crime and violations of human rights. The committee brought up a number of additional issues in addition to loot boxes and kids, such as data privacy, user safety, and non-discrimination. The proposed study did not solely criticise gaming. It acknowledged it as an "important sector" and recommended establishing a yearly European online game award to help it.