UK Unveils New Principles On Loot Boxes, Including Parental Consent And Transparency

Loot boxes are finally getting some level of restrictions.

The UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) has unveiled 11 new principles developed by the UK games industry to offer guidance on paid loot boxes. The main goals of these principles are to prevent under-18s from purchasing loot boxes without parental consent, ensure transparent information is provided to players through public information campaigns, and mandate disclosure and age-appropriate design for paid loot boxes based on age rating systems like PEGI.

Representatives from various sectors, including developers and platforms, collaborated on these principles with input from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), as well as academics and advocacy groups. This collaboration formed the Technical Working Group, which will continue to work with the UK Government to assess the effectiveness of the principles. A review of their impact will be conducted after a one-year implementation period.