Epic Games Releases Cabined Accounts for Kids in the Metaverse
The accounts are child-friendly, but parents must consent before they can be used.
Parental Consent and Child Safety
Epic Games has announced it's releasing a new feature known as 'Cabined Accounts,' which will be with limited accounts designed for the safety of children/teenagers. The feature has been rolled out in Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League. Epic also testified to the child-friendly nature used in the metaverse.
Cabined accounts on Epic Games are the same as normal accounts, but some features are disabled. If a player says their age is below 13 or their country's age of digital consent, the account is made cabined by default. They must provide an adult's verified email address so that Epic can ask for parental consent. The accounts will also have chat and purchasing turned off. Parents must agree to the child using the account before it will be possible to access the three games.
Epic Games is Creating Isolated Experiences for Young Gamers
In an announcement, Epic said it doesn't want the cabined account restricted so children won't lie about their age. The company said, "By creating isolated experiences solely for their younger players, but these experiences are usually restrictive and unappealing when compared to the full game or activity and may encourage false reporting of age. Another approach has been to offer a fulsome experience for younger players, but if kids do not obtain parental permission, they are locked out entirely with no alternatives. Neither of these are optimal."
The company didn't share all the details, but Epic is committed to keeping children safe within the expanding metaverse. Early this year, Epic partnered with Lego to make a safe space in the metaverse for children to create. In 2020, it bought SuperAwesome, online privacy and safety platform that offers parental controls to developers, and the cabined accounts work through the verification system.
