Elisabeth Secker: Germany is a pioneer for youth protection standards

Interview with Elisabeth Secker, Managing Director of USK

The German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (in German: Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle, short USK) is a long-standing institution and helps regulating the German games landscape by implementing and overseeing youth protection measures and age ratings for games. As such, the USK holds great responsibility, especially in times of online games which cause a lot of challenges for youth protection. USK’s Managing Director Elisabeth Secker talked to us about her organisation, their tasks, modern challenges for youth protection in Germany and how the USK even has an impact across borders.

Elisabeth Secker: Thank you! The Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) stands for “Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body”. As a self-regulatory organisation of the games industry, we are the central institution in Germany for assigning age ratings for games and promoting youth protection within the gaming sector.

Having started out in 1994 as a voluntary self-regulation measure by the German game industry with the aim of greater legal certainty and image promotion, USK age ratings became part of a co-regulated, state-approved procedure in 2003 due to the effects of the debates on violence in video games after the Erfurt school massacre of 2002.

Today, the USK is established as one of the central institutions in the area of child and youth protection for digital games. Since its establishment, more than 56,000 age rating procedures have been conducted under the German Youth Protection Act. In addition, the USK issues around 2 million labels per year on digital games platforms as part of the global IARC system. Over 50 member companies have joined the USK to cooperate permanently in the area of youth protection and to continuously develop it further.

Today, hardly any games are ‘offline’ and with the constant shift to digital distribution channels, the ways in which games can be used have also developed steadily. In addition to the subject of content, which has long dominated debates on the protection of minors, the issue today is increasingly centred on the risks associated with usage. These include, for example, risks in the area of communication through chat functions, but also the effects of new monetization strategies such as in-app purchases, loot boxes and battle passes. Legislators have responded to this with the amended Youth Protection Act and equipped the USK with new competences. Since 2023, the independent USK committees with state involvement have also been assessing risks of usage in games. The rating now also includes whether technical protection measures are in place. Parents can now also find additional information alongside the age rating to give them more guidance before buying a game.

Germany has some of the strictest legal youth protection regulations in the world, and this also applies to digital games. However, Germany is also a pioneer, and many youth protection standards are adopted internationally. Unlike in other European countries, age ratings for digital games are enshrined in law. State representatives are also involved in the process, which is why the German system is considered particularly binding. All games that are to be sold to minors or shown in public must be submitted to the USK for review. In contrast to PEGI labels, which are used in other European countries and are purely recommendatory in nature, the USK’s age ratings are binding. There is now also an obligation for labelling on online games platforms based on the IARC system, which the USK developed together with other rating institutions. This is because providers in the online sector must also ensure that children and young people are not generally exposed to harmful content. To this end, they can have their youth protection systems certified by the USK. For example, the parental control settings of the Nintendo Switch and Xbox consoles are recognized by the USK.

As Managing Director of the USK, my responsibilities include managing day-to-day operations, managing finances and organising the individual departments of the USK. In addition to ensuring that our rating processes are robust and up-to-date, this also includes maintaining our relationships with companies in the games industry, the relevant institutions and authorities responsible for the protection of minors, as well as with politicians and the general public. I am also working on strategic initiatives to further develop the protection of minors in the digital age, including the implementation of new technologies and methods to improve our rating systems.

Personally, I think it is important that children and young people can grow up in a media world that does not harm their development, but at the same time allows them to participate in the diverse opportunities. I see striking this balance in an increasingly complex media environment as an exciting challenge.

Berlin is of central importance to the German games industry. As a dynamic centre for innovation and creativity, the capital offers an inspiring environment for the development of games. The vibrant start-up scene, diverse cultural landscape and first-class infrastructure attract talented developers, studios and companies from all over the world.

In addition, Berlin is planning the House of Games as a central point of contact and innovation centre for the games industry. The House of Games will not only function as a physical location, but also as a platform for the exchange of ideas, the promotion of talent and the support of companies. The creation of such a centre underscores Berlin’s leading role in the German and international games landscape.

In fact, the adaptation of the German Youth Protection Act has brought about the biggest changes for the USK in the last 20 years. All processes relating to the submission of games, as well as the rating process itself, had to be redesigned and developed. The USK carried out the implementation process together with the Supreme Youth Protection Authorities of the Federal States responsible for age rating and in cooperation with game e.V. – the German Games Industry Association. A unique aspect of the project was that, for the first time, the USK also involved children, young people and parents in the realization of a law for the protection of minors. This provided valuable insights that were incorporated into the results.

In order to give parents even more guidance when selecting digital games, the USK age labels have been expanded to include additional information on content and use. Parents can now recognize at a glance which reasons have led to the age rating, such as ‘violence’, ‘pressure to play a lot’ or ‘increased incentives to buy’, as well as which risks should be kept in mind when using such media – such as ‘chats’ or ‘in-game-purchases’.

Online risks are also taken into account in the age rating process for games: Providers who submit their game to the USK for rating must state whether functions such as purchase or communication options are available in the game and what technical protection systems they provide for them. When reviewing the games, the independent review bodies weigh up whether there are any lasting risks for children and young people. The way in which purchases are integrated into the game or the design of chat functions as well as corresponding reporting and help systems or technical restriction options can play a role here.

The USK’s independent committees orient themselves on the guiding criteria for age ratings, which are decided by our advisory board and are based on the latest findings from research and science. Criteria for assessing the relevance of youth protection include the depiction of violence, sexual content, the atmosphere in the game or problematic (for example criminal) role models in the game. However, game mechanics beyond the content can also be relevant for the assessment. These include, for example, unsecured communication features, non-transparent stores or elements that encourage players to excessive usage. Particularly high-risk game mechanics are those that influence the ability of children and young people to regulate themselves.

We carefully evaluate these elements on a case-by-case basis to determine their impact on young players and assign appropriate age ratings. In addition, it is important to use technical parental support tools to ensure that gaming remains fun and that children can participate safely.

The USK offers a wide range of services as a partner for companies. In addition to training and certification in the protection of minors, we support companies in fulfilling the legal requirements for the protection of minors. The USK also acts as a legal shield for providers in the event of any possible violations of the youth protection laws. Our almost 50 members are aware of their responsibility when it comes to the protection of minors and work with us to find practical solutions for their services. For example, we certify parental control systems in accordance with the legal requirements in Germany. So, the parental control settings of the Nintendo Switch or Xbox are legally recognized, which is a special distinction for these systems. The settings on the Xbox were even rolled out worldwide in cooperation with the USK – global youth protection made in Germany.

Two topics that clearly concern parents are playtime and the use of parental control systems. But it also starts at a basic level, with parents asking how they can choose suitable games and what to look out for. Our most important tip for parents is to approach the fascination of games among children and young people in a positive way, to choose games together and to set rules. In our experience, this is already happening! According to a recent survey, 42 percent of parents choose games together with their children. In 36 percent of cases, children have to ask their parents for permission before using a game. Only in a minority of cases, it is up to the children or parents alone to decide which games to play. It is positive that 81% trust the USK age ratings – this motivates us to continue our commitment to youth protection in the coming years!