As per today, Blizzard requires age verification for World of Warcraft in Brazil

Bo0137 · August 27

(Removed Photo with User Info)

As of today, Blizzard requires age verification for World of Warcraft in Brazil, following March’s new law that prohibits gambling in videogames for people under 18.

This is following Microsoft and Playstation adopting age verification methods in Brazil.

So I pledge. Please verify my age in ESO. I want to buy the crown crates!

I drive, drink, vote for more than 10 years now. I work my own money. I am legal. I want to spend money on the crown crates in ESO.

Bo0137 · August 27

Ok I accidentally let slip my gamer tag. Alas. Add me to friends list

karthrag_inak · August 27

Khajiit wonders - what is max age you have to be younger than to play cartoony warhammer wannabe? This one was thinking perhaps 14?

Khajiit is not sorry.

DanteTheDeviant · August 27

Why do people keep making posts asking for ESO to adopt irl mass surveillance? I will never give my ID to anyone online, and same goes for my biometric data (face scan, voice, fingerprints, etc). Dystopian.

Soarora · August 27

DanteTheDeviant wrote: »

Why do people keep making posts asking for ESO to adopt irl mass surveillance? I will never give my ID to anyone online, and same goes for my biometric data (face scan, voice, fingerprints, etc). Dystopian.

To be clear, it’s not people. It’s just this one person.

Arunei · August 27

No, I would much prefer NOT needing to send a 3rd party my private information to be hacked and leaked (my guy have you SEEN HOW MANY data breaches there have been in the last several months?) just to play a damn game.

ketsparrowhawk · August 27

If that appears on my screen I will uninstall and never play ESO ever again.

DenverRalphy · August 27

The OP's asking for an age verification for players in Brazil where country laws make it a reasonable request. It's not like they're asking for worldwide privacy datamiining.

Arunei · August 27

DenverRalphy wrote: »

The OP's asking for an age verification for players in Brazil where country laws make it a reasonable request. It's not like they're asking for worldwide privacy datamiining.

Not for ESO players also in Brazil who would prefer age verification NOT touching every aspect of online life, though. This might sound like trying to bait but I'm being genuine, it's never reasonable to ask for things to do age verification unless it's the most basic bare bones "input the year you were born" type thing. What's more reasonable is asking for age verification to be done away with.

Look at how slippery this slope has gotten. It originally started as being to prevent underage minors from accessing adult sites, and now it's spread like a plague to all manner of things, like playing games.

DoofusMax · August 27

This one believes that, at least as far as some game devs (and legislators, for that matter) are concerned, he was playing video games when their parents still thought that girls/boys were icky.

Danikat · August 27

My understanding is the OP is asking for this because Brazil has banned selling loot boxes to under 18's and ESO's current solution is to ban everyone in Brazil from buying crown crates.

The OP is asking for a choice: either you submit your data for age verification to prove you're over 18 and can then buy crown crates, or you don't submit your data and can't buy crates.

I agree that's not a good choice, but I can see how for people who like to buy crown crates and live in places where they're legally restricted it would be better than the current situation.

DenverRalphy · August 27

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

The OP's asking for an age verification for players in Brazil where country laws make it a reasonable request. It's not like they're asking for worldwide privacy datamiining.

Not for ESO players also in Brazil who would prefer age verification NOT touching every aspect of online life, though. This might sound like trying to bait but I'm being genuine, it's never reasonable to ask for things to do age verification unless it's the most basic bare bones "input the year you were born" type thing. What's more reasonable is asking for age verification to be done away with.

Look at how slippery this slope has gotten. It originally started as being to prevent underage minors from accessing adult sites, and now it's spread like a plague to all manner of things, like playing games.

If a Brazilian player doesn't wish to submit age verification, they wouldn't have to. They can opt to not be able to buy crown crates.

We're not talking mandatory age verification to play the game here. Just to unlock the ability to buy crown crates.

Glorious_Platypus · August 27

Bo0137 wrote: »

(Removed Photo with User Info)

As of today, Blizzard requires age verification for World of Warcraft in Brazil, following March’s new law that prohibits gambling in videogames for people under 18.

This is following Microsoft and Playstation adopting age verification methods in Brazil.

So I pledge. Please verify my age in ESO. I want to buy the crown crates!

I drive, drink, vote for more than 10 years now. I work my own money. I am legal. I want to spend money on the crown crates in ESO.

Imagine asking to send in ID, lol. Unbelievable.

Blizzard won't need to ask me for me license though because the account itself is over 18 years old

Arunei · August 28

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

The OP's asking for an age verification for players in Brazil where country laws make it a reasonable request. It's not like they're asking for worldwide privacy datamiining.

Not for ESO players also in Brazil who would prefer age verification NOT touching every aspect of online life, though. This might sound like trying to bait but I'm being genuine, it's never reasonable to ask for things to do age verification unless it's the most basic bare bones "input the year you were born" type thing. What's more reasonable is asking for age verification to be done away with.

Look at how slippery this slope has gotten. It originally started as being to prevent underage minors from accessing adult sites, and now it's spread like a plague to all manner of things, like playing games.

If a Brazilian player doesn't wish to submit age verification, they wouldn't have to. They can opt to not be able to buy crown crates.

We're not talking mandatory age verification to play the game here. Just to unlock the ability to buy crown crates.

And Brazilian players who want to buy Crown Crates without handing over sensitive private data probably wouldn't want that, I would imagine.

It's still slippery slope. It starts with "verify age to buy X in-game", then it becomes "verify age to use in-game social things" and then it becomes "verify age to log in". Minecraft has age verification to use chat on servers now. Numerous social media platforms in different countries have banned 16 and under from them, and if you want to use it you may have to verify your age. Discord is, I believe, starting to roll out age verification stuff. Youtube is doing it, and people can lose access to their whole accounts (same with Discord). It starts as verifying age to "prevent" minors from X or Y, but then it can get out of control, as it has for other platforms. All of this snowballed from the original thing of keeping minors from accessing adult sites.

That's why I said that instead of asking for age verification, people should be fighting against it. People shouldn't need to risk their information getting hacked and leaked for games. The issue with gambling in minors should rest upon the parents to monitor and control, the same as keeping them from coming across adult content online. Parents should be aware of what their children are buying in games, because parents are the ones paying for it (at least I'd sure hope so and that kids aren't just regularly swiping their parents' cards to spend money without supervision, which would be its own issue).

johnjetau · August 28

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

The OP's asking for an age verification for players in Brazil where country laws make it a reasonable request. It's not like they're asking for worldwide privacy datamiining.

Not for ESO players also in Brazil who would prefer age verification NOT touching every aspect of online life, though. This might sound like trying to bait but I'm being genuine, it's never reasonable to ask for things to do age verification unless it's the most basic bare bones "input the year you were born" type thing. What's more reasonable is asking for age verification to be done away with.

Look at how slippery this slope has gotten. It originally started as being to prevent underage minors from accessing adult sites, and now it's spread like a plague to all manner of things, like playing games.

If a Brazilian player doesn't wish to submit age verification, they wouldn't have to. They can opt to not be able to buy crown crates.

We're not talking mandatory age verification to play the game here. Just to unlock the ability to buy crown crates.

And Brazilian players who want to buy Crown Crates without handing over sensitive private data probably wouldn't want that, I would imagine.

It's still slippery slope. It starts with "verify age to buy X in-game", then it becomes "verify age to use in-game social things" and then it becomes "verify age to log in". Minecraft has age verification to use chat on servers now. Numerous social media platforms in different countries have banned 16 and under from them, and if you want to use it you may have to verify your age. Discord is, I believe, starting to roll out age verification stuff. Youtube is doing it, and people can lose access to their whole accounts (same with Discord). It starts as verifying age to "prevent" minors from X or Y, but then it can get out of control, as it has for other platforms. All of this snowballed from the original thing of keeping minors from accessing adult sites.

That's why I said that instead of asking for age verification, people should be fighting against it. People shouldn't need to risk their information getting hacked and leaked for games. The issue with gambling in minors should rest upon the parents to monitor and control, the same as keeping them from coming across adult content online. Parents should be aware of what their children are buying in games, because parents are the ones paying for it (at least I'd sure hope so and that kids aren't just regularly swiping their parents' cards to spend money without supervision, which would be its own issue).

That ship has sailed now.

I received a e-mail from Microsoft a few days ago - I'm Australian - that they will now require me to verify my ID in order to buy new games on their store - PC or Xbox.

I suspect others like Steam, Play Station and GOG will soon follow.

ESO might be a hold out or they might follow Microsoft policy and do the same.

majulook · August 29

Requirements for some sort of identification / proof of age is coming (and not just for those adult sites) as online, and tech companies are beginning to held accountable for things. Example-- legal action against META in the US, the EU, Australia, and some places in Asia.

I know Google has been working on trying to make it so a Gmail addresses can be a proof of age outside of Google. Not all other companies are accepting this and It requires you to upload to Google a government ID or credit card, but it will work for any Google subsidiaries, and lots of affiliated companies.

DenverRalphy · August 29

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

The OP's asking for an age verification for players in Brazil where country laws make it a reasonable request. It's not like they're asking for worldwide privacy datamiining.

Not for ESO players also in Brazil who would prefer age verification NOT touching every aspect of online life, though. This might sound like trying to bait but I'm being genuine, it's never reasonable to ask for things to do age verification unless it's the most basic bare bones "input the year you were born" type thing. What's more reasonable is asking for age verification to be done away with.

Look at how slippery this slope has gotten. It originally started as being to prevent underage minors from accessing adult sites, and now it's spread like a plague to all manner of things, like playing games.

If a Brazilian player doesn't wish to submit age verification, they wouldn't have to. They can opt to not be able to buy crown crates.

We're not talking mandatory age verification to play the game here. Just to unlock the ability to buy crown crates.

And Brazilian players who want to buy Crown Crates without handing over sensitive private data probably wouldn't want that, I would imagine.

It's still slippery slope. It starts with "verify age to buy X in-game", then it becomes "verify age to use in-game social things" and then it becomes "verify age to log in". Minecraft has age verification to use chat on servers now. Numerous social media platforms in different countries have banned 16 and under from them, and if you want to use it you may have to verify your age. Discord is, I believe, starting to roll out age verification stuff. Youtube is doing it, and people can lose access to their whole accounts (same with Discord). It starts as verifying age to "prevent" minors from X or Y, but then it can get out of control, as it has for other platforms. All of this snowballed from the original thing of keeping minors from accessing adult sites.

That's why I said that instead of asking for age verification, people should be fighting against it. People shouldn't need to risk their information getting hacked and leaked for games. The issue with gambling in minors should rest upon the parents to monitor and control, the same as keeping them from coming across adult content online. Parents should be aware of what their children are buying in games, because parents are the ones paying for it (at least I'd sure hope so and that kids aren't just regularly swiping their parents' cards to spend money without supervision, which would be its own issue).

If you want to fight the good fight, you're welcome to. But the party to take issue with would be your local lawmakers. Not the game publishers. The game publishers, as well as other online services like voip providers, are simply adherinig what laws are requiring of them.

ZOS isn't pushing age verification on anybody. A player is asking ZOS to give them a way to purchase legally. Don't begrudge a player for wanting an optional method to legally make their purchase.

Goregram1 · August 29

This is soooo funny an interesting since they moderate there games for 3 year old's even though there rated M

LadyGP · August 29

I remember having to show an ID to get a game that was rated M back in the day - who cares.

"My privacyyyy"

I hate to tell you.. even if you live inside a cave with no devices.. you still have no privacy.

This is a nothing burger.

- xcatguy

virtus753 · August 29

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

The OP's asking for an age verification for players in Brazil where country laws make it a reasonable request. It's not like they're asking for worldwide privacy datamiining.

Not for ESO players also in Brazil who would prefer age verification NOT touching every aspect of online life, though. This might sound like trying to bait but I'm being genuine, it's never reasonable to ask for things to do age verification unless it's the most basic bare bones "input the year you were born" type thing. What's more reasonable is asking for age verification to be done away with.

Look at how slippery this slope has gotten. It originally started as being to prevent underage minors from accessing adult sites, and now it's spread like a plague to all manner of things, like playing games.

If a Brazilian player doesn't wish to submit age verification, they wouldn't have to. They can opt to not be able to buy crown crates.

We're not talking mandatory age verification to play the game here. Just to unlock the ability to buy crown crates.

There is an additional hurdle in that the relevant Brazil law states that it is not only the selling of loot boxes to children and adolescents that’s illegal but also the selling of loot boxes in games whose age classifications (e.g. ratings) make the game likely to be accessible to children or adolescents.

As a game that’s currently rated BR-14, ESO seems to qualify as likely to offer access to children and adolescents. Until that rating changes, I don’t see how age verification of an individual alone would satisfy the terms of the law. It would seem necessary to bump the rating of the whole game to make it unlikely to be accessible to children and adolescents (particularly the latter). At least one other game got its rating bumped to 18+ so it could continue selling loot boxes there.

Perhaps Microsoft/Bethesda/ZOS are waiting to have their age verification measures in place before they pursue a ratings change, but I would not anticipate any loot boxes becoming available again before that step happens. It seems pretty clearly counter to the law’s wording to keep a 14 rating while allowing loot boxes to be sold to anyone, regardless of the individual purchaser’s age and whether that age has been verified.

I don’t know whether it would also be necessary to apply age verification to all players in that region to ensure minors are not accessing the game even with a rating of 18+. It may be necessary, or simply the safer option.

SeaGtGruff · August 29

virtus753 wrote: »

Perhaps Microsoft/Bethesda/ZOS are waiting to have their age verification measures in place before they pursue a ratings change,

I thought I read something a while back to the effect that ZOS actually wanted to get the age rating for ESO lowered, but they decided not to pursue that because they didn't want to remove the specific things that had led to the current classification. If that's true, I'm thinking they'd be unlikely to try to get the rating changed in the other direction, since it might prevent younger players from being able to play the game, Crown Crates or not.

Arunei · August 29

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

The OP's asking for an age verification for players in Brazil where country laws make it a reasonable request. It's not like they're asking for worldwide privacy datamiining.

Not for ESO players also in Brazil who would prefer age verification NOT touching every aspect of online life, though. This might sound like trying to bait but I'm being genuine, it's never reasonable to ask for things to do age verification unless it's the most basic bare bones "input the year you were born" type thing. What's more reasonable is asking for age verification to be done away with.

Look at how slippery this slope has gotten. It originally started as being to prevent underage minors from accessing adult sites, and now it's spread like a plague to all manner of things, like playing games.

If a Brazilian player doesn't wish to submit age verification, they wouldn't have to. They can opt to not be able to buy crown crates.

We're not talking mandatory age verification to play the game here. Just to unlock the ability to buy crown crates.

And Brazilian players who want to buy Crown Crates without handing over sensitive private data probably wouldn't want that, I would imagine.

It's still slippery slope. It starts with "verify age to buy X in-game", then it becomes "verify age to use in-game social things" and then it becomes "verify age to log in". Minecraft has age verification to use chat on servers now. Numerous social media platforms in different countries have banned 16 and under from them, and if you want to use it you may have to verify your age. Discord is, I believe, starting to roll out age verification stuff. Youtube is doing it, and people can lose access to their whole accounts (same with Discord). It starts as verifying age to "prevent" minors from X or Y, but then it can get out of control, as it has for other platforms. All of this snowballed from the original thing of keeping minors from accessing adult sites.

That's why I said that instead of asking for age verification, people should be fighting against it. People shouldn't need to risk their information getting hacked and leaked for games. The issue with gambling in minors should rest upon the parents to monitor and control, the same as keeping them from coming across adult content online. Parents should be aware of what their children are buying in games, because parents are the ones paying for it (at least I'd sure hope so and that kids aren't just regularly swiping their parents' cards to spend money without supervision, which would be its own issue).

If you want to fight the good fight, you're welcome to. But the party to take issue with would be your local lawmakers. Not the game publishers. The game publishers, as well as other online services like voip providers, are simply adherinig what laws are requiring of them.

ZOS isn't pushing age verification on anybody. A player is asking ZOS to give them a way to purchase legally. Don't begrudge a player for wanting an optional method to legally make their purchase.

So begrudge the people who DON'T want to have to provide ID to buy Crown Crates, then? This can't apply to one person, it would be everyone or no one. They can legally buy their Crates right now. So can every other Brazilian. But the second age verification comes into play? Then ONLY the people willing to submit that verification can still buy Crates. At that point it doesn't become optional. It's mandatory.

We don't need governments implementing laws that affect everyone to do the job of parents. Parents need to be parents and monitor and control what their children are doing online, including online games like ESO. The more places that find they can get away with doing this stuff, the more it spreads. It started in the UK but now there are more and more and more places either planning age verification, in the process of trying to implement it, or already have.

DenverRalphy · August 29

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

The OP's asking for an age verification for players in Brazil where country laws make it a reasonable request. It's not like they're asking for worldwide privacy datamiining.

Not for ESO players also in Brazil who would prefer age verification NOT touching every aspect of online life, though. This might sound like trying to bait but I'm being genuine, it's never reasonable to ask for things to do age verification unless it's the most basic bare bones "input the year you were born" type thing. What's more reasonable is asking for age verification to be done away with.

Look at how slippery this slope has gotten. It originally started as being to prevent underage minors from accessing adult sites, and now it's spread like a plague to all manner of things, like playing games.

If a Brazilian player doesn't wish to submit age verification, they wouldn't have to. They can opt to not be able to buy crown crates.

We're not talking mandatory age verification to play the game here. Just to unlock the ability to buy crown crates.

And Brazilian players who want to buy Crown Crates without handing over sensitive private data probably wouldn't want that, I would imagine.

It's still slippery slope. It starts with "verify age to buy X in-game", then it becomes "verify age to use in-game social things" and then it becomes "verify age to log in". Minecraft has age verification to use chat on servers now. Numerous social media platforms in different countries have banned 16 and under from them, and if you want to use it you may have to verify your age. Discord is, I believe, starting to roll out age verification stuff. Youtube is doing it, and people can lose access to their whole accounts (same with Discord). It starts as verifying age to "prevent" minors from X or Y, but then it can get out of control, as it has for other platforms. All of this snowballed from the original thing of keeping minors from accessing adult sites.

That's why I said that instead of asking for age verification, people should be fighting against it. People shouldn't need to risk their information getting hacked and leaked for games. The issue with gambling in minors should rest upon the parents to monitor and control, the same as keeping them from coming across adult content online. Parents should be aware of what their children are buying in games, because parents are the ones paying for it (at least I'd sure hope so and that kids aren't just regularly swiping their parents' cards to spend money without supervision, which would be its own issue).

If you want to fight the good fight, you're welcome to. But the party to take issue with would be your local lawmakers. Not the game publishers. The game publishers, as well as other online services like voip providers, are simply adherinig what laws are requiring of them.

ZOS isn't pushing age verification on anybody. A player is asking ZOS to give them a way to purchase legally. Don't begrudge a player for wanting an optional method to legally make their purchase.

So begrudge the people who DON'T want to have to provide ID to buy Crown Crates, then? This can't apply to one person, it would be everyone or no one. They can legally buy their Crates right now. So can every other Brazilian. But the second age verification comes into play? Then ONLY the people willing to submit that verification can still buy Crates. At that point it doesn't become optional. It's mandatory.

We don't need governments implementing laws that affect everyone to do the job of parents. Parents need to be parents and monitor and control what their children are doing online, including online games like ESO. The more places that find they can get away with doing this stuff, the more it spreads. It started in the UK but now there are more and more and more places either planning age verification, in the process of trying to implement it, or already have.

Again.. unless you're gaming in Brazil (or any country that enacts such laws), it affects you not at all. You can just keep on keepin on just as you are now. Noboody's proposing that you nor anyone else not affected by Brazil's law wouldalso have to voluntarily submit.

Oceanchanter · August 29

A reminder the post started because players from Brazil playing World of Warcraft are required to verify their age.
Not ESO.

Let's not whip ourselves into frenzy over what might happen after reading clickbaity headlines or seeing what other countries do.

The only details I could find were that ZOS sometimes blocked purchases for the entire region (earlier in Brazil this year) because they did not have a proper age-verification system in place (tied to those lootbox regulations).
To my understanding, this is not the same as requiring players to upload ID documents, and those restrictions were temporary.

I cant even find any mentions of ZOS trying to implement anything more than what gaming platforms (consoles, Steam) already have.
And if anything, it'd be still very much country-to-country, or even state-to-state case.

Lets save the anxiety and frenzy for the moment it starts happening.
I'm pretty sure we'll start noticing ZOS making moves in that direction.

If they are going to, that is.
Emphasis on IF.

I didnt see the OP's screenshot, so idk what was there.

kargen27 · August 29

Arunei wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

The OP's asking for an age verification for players in Brazil where country laws make it a reasonable request. It's not like they're asking for worldwide privacy datamiining.

Not for ESO players also in Brazil who would prefer age verification NOT touching every aspect of online life, though. This might sound like trying to bait but I'm being genuine, it's never reasonable to ask for things to do age verification unless it's the most basic bare bones "input the year you were born" type thing. What's more reasonable is asking for age verification to be done away with.

Look at how slippery this slope has gotten. It originally started as being to prevent underage minors from accessing adult sites, and now it's spread like a plague to all manner of things, like playing games.

I don't like the trend towards more identity verification happening but shouldn't it be an option maybe? If your choice is the game is no longer available to you or you provide proof of age maybe you decide to provide proof. I would assume if crown crates are considered gambling (I don't think they are) if ESO doesn't comply with Brazilian law the game simply will be no longer available.