Safer GAMING Act

Key Points

• This bill requires online video game companies to provide safety tools for players under age 18. These tools would let parents limit who can talk to or message their children while they are playing games online.
• These safety settings must be turned on automatically for any account belonging to a minor. Only a parent or legal guardian would be allowed to turn them off, ensuring that kids cannot easily change the settings themselves.
• The law aims to protect children from being contacted by strangers or potentially dangerous adults. Companies are required to make these controls easy to find and simple for parents to use.
• If a company breaks these rules, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or state attorneys general can sue them or issue fines. This gives the government power to make sure gaming platforms are following the new safety standards.
• The rules would start one year after the bill becomes law. It also sets one national standard for the whole country, preventing different states from making their own conflicting rules about video game communication safety.