Why Do I Have to Verify My Child’s Epic Account?
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You’ve likely landed here because you’re facing the often-confusing requirement to verify your child’s Epic Games account. It might seem like an unnecessary hassle, but there are very valid reasons why Epic Games, the company behind popular titles like Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys, needs to verify the age of its users, particularly those who are children. The core reason boils down to legal compliance and ensuring your child’s safety online. In short, you need to verify your child’s Epic account because privacy laws dictate that children under a certain age require parental consent to access online services that collect personal information. This verification is a necessary step to confirm you are an adult and provide that consent. Let’s break down the reasons in more detail and then address some frequently asked questions.
The Necessity of Parental Consent and Verification
At the heart of the matter are privacy regulations, such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States and similar laws in other countries. These regulations are designed to protect children from the potential risks of online interactions, including data collection and exposure to inappropriate content. When a user indicates they are under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent in their country, if higher), their account is designated as a Cabined Account. This means certain features are limited until parental consent is given.
Why can’t Epic Games simply take a child’s word for their age? Because the legal system doesn’t allow it. Children are not considered to have the full capacity to consent to data collection and online interactions. Therefore, verification by a legal adult is mandatory. By verifying that you are an adult and giving consent, you are essentially authorizing your child to access the full scope of Epic Games’ services.
How Does the Verification Process Work?
Epic Games has partnered with SuperAwesome, a leading platform for parental consent and verification, to handle this process. This partnership ensures a secure and reliable verification method. The verification process generally involves one of the following:
- Face Scan: This involves scanning your face with your device’s camera to confirm that you are an adult.
- Credit or Debit Card: This method verifies age through your financial information. No charges are made as part of the verification.
- ID Scan: This entails providing a scan of a valid government-issued ID to confirm your age.
These methods are designed to ensure that the person providing consent is indeed an adult, and not someone misrepresenting themselves. The specific options available might vary based on your region and other factors.
Why Epic Games Asks For Age Verification
The primary reasons for Epic Games asking for age verification can be summarized as:
- Compliance with Privacy Laws: As explained above, legal frameworks mandate parental consent for children to use online platforms that collect personal data.
- Ensuring a Safe Environment: By restricting certain features for underage users until parental consent is provided, Epic Games aims to create a safer environment for younger players. This includes controlling access to social interactions and in-game purchases.
- Providing Age-Appropriate Experiences: Age verification also enables Epic to tailor the gaming experience to each player. Depending on age, certain content or features might not be available until the user is older or has parental approval.
Consequences of Not Verifying
What happens if you don’t verify your child’s account? The short answer is that your child will be limited to a Cabined Account. This means they will not have access to many features, such as:
- Social interactions (chatting with friends, joining parties)
- Voice chat
- Purchases
- Access to certain game modes
Moreover, Epic Games issues warnings if accounts aren’t verified, and in some cases, unverified accounts can be permanently deleted after a specified grace period (usually around 30 days). Therefore, it is crucial to complete the verification process if you want your child to enjoy the full experience.
Epic Games’ Commitment to Family Safety
Epic Games understands the importance of family safety and empowers parents with tools to manage their child’s online experience. Their parental controls allow you to:
- Manage your child’s access to social features within games like Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League.
- Control in-game purchases.
- Set time limits for playing.
- Review activity reports.
By embracing parental verification and providing comprehensive parental control tools, Epic Games is trying to strike a balance between enabling children’s digital experiences and ensuring their protection.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions parents often have about Epic Games’ verification process:
1. Is Epic Games parent verification legit?
Yes, Epic Games parent verification is legitimate and necessary for complying with international privacy laws. They partner with SuperAwesome, a trusted verification platform, to ensure a safe process.
2. Why is Fortnite asking for age verification?
Fortnite, as an Epic Games product, requires age verification to ensure players are of age to engage with the online services and to comply with legal requirements for protecting children’s data.
3. How long does it take for Epic to verify my account?
The verification process itself is usually quick, often completed in a matter of minutes. However, full account verification can take time if there are any issues with the submitted credentials. Epic states that around 50% of credentials are verified within 45 days and 75% within 90 days in their system, but this is mostly for the verification of education or professional background of certain types of users.
4. Can I turn off the verification on Epic Games?
No, you cannot turn off the verification process for Cabined Accounts. It’s a mandatory requirement for underage users to access certain features. However, you can manage your parental controls once verification is complete.
5. Is there an age restriction on Epic accounts?
Yes, if a user is under 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent in their country), they are considered a child account and require parental consent. This means an account will be restricted to Cabined Account status until verification and consent are provided.
6. How do I create an Epic Games account for my child?
You can create a child profile directly from your parent account dashboard on Epic games, using your own Epic account as a parent and choosing “Create a Profile”. You will need a name and can optionally create a profile PIN for extra security.
7. Can my 10-year-old have an Epic Games account?
Yes, a 10-year-old can have an Epic Games account, but it will initially be a Cabined Account requiring parental consent to access all features.
8. Is Epic Games going to ask for my Social Security Number (SSN)?
Epic Games does not typically ask for your SSN as part of the age verification process. They may use a credit card or debit card to verify that you are above a certain age, but this is the most sensitive data they typically request.
9. What do I do if I don’t have a credit or debit card for verification?
If you don’t have a credit or debit card, you can typically use Face Scan or ID Scan as an alternative verification methods. The available methods might differ slightly depending on your location and the device that you are using.
10. Can I change my Epic Games email without verification?
No, you need to verify your email address to be able to make any changes to your account, such as changing the linked email address.
11. What do I do if I can’t log in to my child’s Epic account?
If you are struggling to log in, first double-check that you have the correct login credentials. If the problem persists, you should try clearing the browser’s cache, or using a different device or browser. If the issue is ongoing, contact Epic Games Support for further assistance.
12. What happens if my child’s Fortnite account gets banned?
Players are often temporarily banned when they violate the Fortnite Code of Conduct. The bans can last up to 30 days, and the player can play again once the ban expires.
13. Can I allow my child to play Fortnite?
Yes, you can allow your child to play Fortnite, but it is rated PEGI 12 because of elements of violence. Epic Games’ parental controls and verifications are designed to protect young players and manage their experience.
14. How do I set up parental controls on Epic Games?
You can set parental controls directly in your Epic Games account settings. Navigate to your account via the Epic Games Launcher or the website, select the Parental Controls tab, and set a PIN to control your settings.
15. What is the age of digital consent in my country?
The age of digital consent varies by country. For example, it’s 13 in the United States, but it might be 16 in certain European countries. Check your local regulations for specifics. Epic uses the highest age of consent by default.
By understanding the reasons behind age verification and parental controls, you can ensure that your child enjoys Epic Games’ offerings safely and responsibly.