Australians attempting to purchase games rated R18+ through the Xbox or PC Microsoft Store will soon be required to verify their age. Microsoft confirmed these new requirements in emails sent to users over the weekend, with the changes set to take effect starting in August 2026.
The company stated that the new measures are a direct response to Australian regulations. To complete the age verification process, users can choose from several methods, including email verification, a "secure selfie" for facial age estimation, or by providing credit card details or a government-issued identification such as a driver's license or passport. The verification process will be handled by VerifyMy, a London-based technology firm.
This move by Microsoft positions it as the first major gaming platform to implement such stringent age verification measures. The introduction of age verification software has faced increased scrutiny, with some researchers raising concerns about data security and the potential for these systems to serve as a form of surveillance. Earlier this year, security experts claimed that Persona, a widely used verification provider for platforms like Roblox, Twitch, and VRChat, exhibited lax information security practices and collected more data than strictly necessary for age verification. In a separate incident, a data breach at Discord in 2025 resulted in the compromise of approximately 70,000 government photo IDs.
As of early 2026, both Australia and the United Kingdom are introducing new age verification requirements, with 25 US states also implementing similar measures. However, not all digital storefronts have been quick to adapt; for instance, Steam has not yet introduced more rigorous age verification in Australia, and PlayStation has also not yet implemented such a system.