In the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), progress has been made in moving towards the ‘right balance’ between a harmonised approach to the enhanced protection of consumers - in particular children - from the potential risks of online video games and the desire not to harm an innovative industry.
Compromise amendments to the draft report by Adriana Maldonado López (S&D, Spanish) of June 2022 on ‘Strengthening consumer protection in online gaming - a single market approach’ were debated on Monday 10 October.
Speaking on behalf of the rapporteur, MEP Maria Manuel Leitão Marques stressed that the negotiated compromise reflects the added value of video games in the entertainment sector and the digital economy, a sector that represents 90,000 jobs in Europe and contributes to the development of new technologies.
A protective framework. The text identifies the measures needed to strengthen consumer protection.
“We are calling for a consumer protection framework to avoid legal loopholes in this sector resulting from market fragmentation. And we identify elements to be taken into account in future legislation, such as the need for parental control and instruments to deal with different industry models used in video games, such as online purchases and specific incentives for minors”.
Social benefits and risks. Another trade-off focuses on the social benefits and potential risks associated with video games: these games help to integrate some people and develop skills, but carry risks of addictive disorders, especially during adolescence.
The text calls on the competent authorities to make provisions for player data to promote gender equality in video games, to avoid cyber-bullying of children.
Safety. The compromise under negotiation asks the Commission to evaluate the modalities of the existing systems to ensure a safe environment.
It advocates a PEGY system of parental guidance, based on the highest standards of safety and privacy for consumers, and which provides legal certainty for businesses.
The negotiations will continue. The EPP group would like to clarify that we are talking about “minors and especially young children”, as the age of majority varies in different countries.
The ECR group asks for more clarity on whether to include only browser and mobile games or also other games distributed online.
The Renew Europe Group is in favour of harmonising reward boxes, without banning them, unlike the Greens/EFA and The Left groups.
The ID Group regrets that “values and content” are being talked about, while prescribing to a creative industry what it should do.
See the draft report: https://aeur.eu/f/3in
See the compromise amendments: https://aeur.eu/f/3im (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)