Stop Killing Games Raises Concerns Over EU Kids Act: ‘This Proposal Is Troubling’
In a recent video, the consumer advocacy group Stop Killing Games and its creator, YouTuber Ross Scott, voiced serious concerns about the European Union’s proposed EU Kids Act, which Scott has labeled a “bomb that could implode the whole video games industry.”
The EU Kids Act was officially introduced on September 17, 2026. According to the outline from the European Commission, the proposal aims to “protect minors from risky digital services and AI systems, uphold the digital single market, and maintain a coherent regulatory framework and enforcement structure for the protection of minors online.”
However, Ross Scott from Stop Killing Games argues that the EU Kids Act is using the threat of AI and the need to protect minors as a “cover” for its real intentions, calling it a “mask to hide what else is in there.”
“Curbing social media and AI has nothing to do with why this is such a horrible law proposal,” Scott stated. “As it stands, the EU Kids Act is the most draconian proposal I’ve ever seen regarding video games and consumers.” He is particularly worried that the proposal will “require your personal identifying information to play an online video game” and “make all private game servers illegal.”
Scott’s initial comments were based on a leaked version of the EU Kids Act, but the segments he discussed align perfectly with the official version now available. The proposal is indeed broad, outlining “clear safety by design requirements for online social networking services, video-sharing platform services, online games, AI companions, general conversational chatbots, and software application stores.”
It’s crucial to note that the proposal spans 99 pages and is filled with legal jargon. The main section relevant to video games is Chapter III, titled “Safety By Design.” However, Scott points out a confusing aspect that needs addressing first: how does the EU Kids Act define a “video game”?
In the proposal’s “definitions” section, a “video game” is described as “an information society service.” This term is specific, as the EU GDPR defines it as “any service normally provided for remuneration, at a distance, by electronic means and at the individual request of a recipient of services.” In simpler terms, an “information society service” refers to something that can be purchased online.
This raises the question: does this apply to digitally purchased games that lack online features? Scott argues that this definition “is as clear as mud,” which is why Stop Killing Games is worried that the EU Kids Act’s age verification requirements could be broadly applied to any game bought through a digital storefront. This concern is particularly relevant given that Steam operates as a purely digital storefront, and Sony plans to cease disc production for all new PlayStation games by 2028.
It’s important to remember that the EU Kids Act is still just a proposal, meaning it’s in the early stages of the European Union’s legislative process. Before it reaches the voting stages in both the European Parliament and the EU Council, it will undergo review and likely amendments.
As Scott emphasized in his conclusion, this is why Stop Killing Games believes addressing the EU Kids Act now is crucial: “The best thing you can do is spread the word on this. The people who write this crap do not like it when the public at large knows what they’re trying to do to you. If everyone in gaming understood what the EU Kids Act is trying to do, it wouldn’t have a chance of passing. So, let’s let people know!”
