Microsoft blocks children’s accounts and only unblocks them via a parent
Microsoft has started blocking Microsoft accounts from children, making it impossible for children to use OneDrive or Outlook, for example, unless a parent officially confirms that the children have permission.
On the forum complains to a user about the fact that his children no longer have access to their OneDrive account or even a Steam account, whereby Steam must be logged in with an Outlook e-mail address. The other user reports that his child can no longer log in to his Outlook account. This means that children and parents can no longer work with homework or stored photos.
Parents can undo the blocking by paying 50 cents with a credit card, which according to Microsoft will not be linked to the child’s account. Another way is to send a picture of the passport, identity card or birth certificate to Microsoft.
Microsoft has previously announced that it is necessary that children use Microsoft Accounts are authorized by a parent or guardian. The company from Redmond thus seems to be applying the practice of the American COPPA legislation in the EU, probably in the run-up to the introduction of the general data protection regulation. Microsoft was unreachable for comment.
According to US law, a company must first have verifiable consent from a parent before personal information can be collected from children under the age of 13. The AVG states that a child must be at least 16 years of age or older to legally give permission for the use of information society services. This means that accounts of children who are 15 years or younger can be affected by a blockade.
The AVG also gives EU member states the option of not setting the minimum age at 16 but at at least 13 years. ]something that, for example, Belgium has decided.
Parents can undo the blocking by paying 50 cents with a credit card, which according to Microsoft will not be linked to the child’s account. Another way is to send a picture of the passport, identity card or birth certificate to Microsoft.
Microsoft has previously announced that it is necessary that children use Microsoft Accounts are authorized by a parent or guardian. The company from Redmond thus seems to be applying the practice of the American COPPA legislation in the EU, probably in the run-up to the introduction of the general data protection regulation. Microsoft was unreachable for comment.
According to US law, a company must first have verifiable consent from a parent before personal information can be collected from children under the age of 13. The AVG states that a child must be at least 16 years of age or older to legally give permission for the use of information society services. This means that accounts of children who are 15 years or younger can be affected by a blockade.
The AVG also gives EU member states the option of not setting the minimum age at 16 but at at least 13 years. ]something that, for example, Belgium has decided.