Microsoft Requires Australians to Verify Age to Buy R18+ Games on Xbox Store

Overview

• Microsoft has begun sending emails and Xbox messages to users in Australia and will require adult Xbox accounts to verify their age starting late August 2026 to access or purchase games rated R18+.
• Users will be able to prove their age by an email check, supplying a credit card, uploading a passport or driver’s licence, or submitting a selfie for a facial age estimate, with verification handled by London‑based VerifyMy.
• Microsoft says games and apps already owned by users will not be blocked by the new verification requirement.
• Security researchers and prior breaches have highlighted risks with third‑party verifiers, noting past incidents that exposed government photo IDs and findings that some vendors kept excessive data or had lax protections.
• The move shows how platforms are diverging in their responses to new age‑verification rules and could increase centralisation of sensitive identity data, so watchers should track vendor security practices and whether other services adopt similar checks.