Parents who don’t want their youngsters to play the upcoming GTA 6, today is your lucky day. New facial recognition technology just dropped, and it might just be what you’re looking for.
It’s certainly got people in the gaming community talking, so you know its creators mean business. Is it that serious, though? Let’s find out!
Introducing the New Feature
A few months ago, a controversial rumor took the gaming community by storm. It implied that ESRP planned to use new facial recognition technology to scan people’s faces before buying a video game.
The public believed the purpose of this feature was to determine if the games being bought were appropriate for the players’ age. Needless to say, not everyone was a fan of that initiative.
GTA Fans’ Reaction to the Rumors
GTA players were worried, with good reason. The franchise doesn’t have the most family-friendly reputation.
With Rockstar Games’ GTA 6 coming out next year, some fans were worried the new feature might prevent them from buying it.
They also feared implementing such technology would take too much time and money, delaying the release of the game and raising its price.
Besides, that’s AI we’re talking about. You know how controversial that topic has been these past couple of years. The gaming community expressed numerous concerns.
What if that technology was used to track users without their consent? What if the software makes a mistake and prevents users from accessing their accounts?
There were too many vague aspects in that initiative that put gamers on the edge.
Why Did ESRP Enforce Facial Recognition?
As the rumor gained momentum, ESRP finally released an official statement. Apparently, the facial recognition software doesn’t scan users’ faces to determine if they’re old enough to buy mature games.
It uses the image to identify the users’ age and ensure they’re complying with the Children Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The COPPA law prevents companies from collecting information from children under 13 without parental consent.
What does this have to do with the gaming community?
When you register for a gaming service, companies usually ask you to create a profile. That includes filling in personal information, like your email and maybe home address.
These studios can use that information to send relative promotional emails, like account updates or offers on in-game items.
Here’s the thing: If you’re 18 or older, you’re officially an adult and have the right to consent to such an act. However, we all know not everyone playing GTA is an adult.
Minors who consent to having their information collected might not be fully aware of what they’re agreeing to. That’s where the facial recognition feature comes in.
Will This Feature Apply to GTA Players Around the World?
A few content creators have made videos claiming youngsters won’t be able to play the upcoming GTA 6, but that’s not necessarily true.
Remember, ESRP only operates in the US, Canada, and Mexico. So, most countries won’t have to worry about that facial recognition technology.
They might deal with other agencies enforcing other age restrictions, but that’s a story for another day.
The new facial recognition technology has caused a lot of controversy in the gaming community. Although ESRP claims it only aims to ensure compliance with the COPPA rules, that hasn’t stopped people from expressing security concerns. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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