Global regulation hits games and tech | Week in Views
The games industry moves quickly and while stories may come and go there are some that we just can't let go of…
So, to give those particularly thorny topics a further going over we've created a weekly digest where the members of the PocketGamer.biz team share their thoughts and go that little bit deeper on some of the more interesting things that have happened in mobile gaming in the past week.
Paige Cook
The European Commission’s proposed Digital Fairness Act has sparked concern this week after Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen did a long post about it on LinkedIn. This got others talking, with many agreeing with Ilkka and others not so much.
While the act is aimed at consumer protection, some industry leaders fear that it could not only cause a serious negative impact on the free-to-play model but also have broader implications for games being made in Europe at large.
We spoke to other industry experts to get their thoughts on the matter, and Celia Pontin cautioned that if not handled carefully, “new regulations do indeed have scope to kick the legs out for under the free-to-play model,” citing risks of one-size-fits-all rules that fail to reflect how games are actually operating.
Martine Spaans also echoed this concern, warning that the proposal could make it "practically impossible to offer a high-quality F2P game to the European audience".
The message from some of these industry professionals is clear, Europe’s games industry isn’t opposing fairness, but it is asking for smarter regulation. Matej Lancaric notes that the Digital Fairness Act should be “a wake-up call, not a death sentence".
Aaron Astle
Texas enforces new age verification law for app stores and developers
Texas has announced a new law requiring app stores and developers to implement age verification measures. It takes effect on January 1st, 2026, and means Texans will need to confirm their age when making an Apple Account.
Those under 18 will have to join a Family Sharing group, meaning they will need parental approval to carry out any activity on the App Store - presumably including game installs. And, devs will also be required to update their games to comply with such laws.
Regulatory updates in the tech sector feel unending this year, as though governments around the globe have suddenly realised how the giants have run amok for so long. Whether it’s the Online Safety Act in the UK, the upcoming Digital Fairness Act in the EU, or this new Texan law, it seems like change is coming wherever you are.
I do wonder, though, whether this App Store age verification will be limited to Texas or be blanket-applied across the US once developers are made to get involved. I suppose with 2026 almost here (somehow), it won’t be long before we see how this all plays out.