UNICEF and UPEA have presented their recommendations on regulating children’s rights and behaviors in esports and online gaming. This is the first thing to come out of the two organizations’ partnership that began this past September.

The document contains the recommendations for the online gaming industry companies (developers, publishers, distributors, platforms, esports companies, and streaming services). They can use these to self-assess their current practices and determine the areas for improvement affecting the situation in relation to children’s rights.

The material encompasses all spheres where children have an online presence and covers the following issues: how much time children and youth should spend online, how age restrictions can be controlled and enforced, tolerance to and representation of children in games, avoidance of toxic communication by blocking unwanted conversations, and fighting against the sexual harassment. The document also defines essential aspects of the potential commercial influence on children through the regulation of monetization models, advertising technology, and personal data protection.

It’s an excellent opportunity for the industry to get an idea of its impact on children and find the solutions that guarantee kids’ safety and improve positive results for those of them who play online games. Considering these recommendations, the companies need to take into account their capacity for controlling and changing their methods and their leverage to get a broader impact on the issues in question or for encouraging other industry players to do so.