KidD Initiated 70 Proceedings in Its First Year
– 2 min read
After its first year of existence, KidD has taken stock of its work to date. One particular success was that Steam removed all games without age ratings from its offering in Germany. Other providers also responded, and according to KidD, this is just the beginning.
On 15 May, the Stelle zur Durchsetzung von Kinderrechten in digitalen Diensten (KidD; Office for the Enforcement of Children's Rights in Digital Services) celebrates its first anniversary. It is the point of contact at the Bundeszentrale für Kinder- und Jugendmedienschutz (BzKJ; Federal Centre for Child Protection with Media) and is responsible for monitoring compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA) in Germany. According to its own figures, around 70 proceedings were initiated in its first year.
The KidD considers its cooperation with Steam, which also made waves internationally, to be particularly successful. The distribution platform for digital games has removed all games from its offering in Germany that do not have the applicable youth protection labels. This move complies with the legal framework, but has also attracted some justified criticism. After all, older catalogue titles that are harmless from a youth protection perspective but are so old that retroactive age ratings would not make economic sense were also removed.
"We are proud of the progress KidD has made in its first year. In addition to professionalising our work processes, we have been able to actively engage in a large number of proceedings and achieve a wide range of improvements in various services. Among other things, our efforts have led to improvements in the reporting and redress procedures in the services. We must and will build on this in order to consistently enforce applicable law, if necessary with fines, if providers do not comply with our demands," explains Michael Terhörst, head of KidD.
A new aspect of KidD's work is the ability to take action against providers based in countries outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). This applies when such providers have not appointed a legal representative within the EU. Numerous proceedings are currently being initiated in this area, as these services often pose particular risks to children and young people.
"Our work has only just begun. With strong partners and the EU at our side, we will continue to increase the effectiveness of child and youth media protection – and consistently enforce the rights of young people," Terhörst says.
Written by
Stephan is Editor in Chief
