The Information Commissioner's Office in the United Kingdom has initiated a new review focusing on the safety measures employed by 10 "popular mobile games" to protect children.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the UK has initiated a fresh review targeting 10 popular mobile games to evaluate the protection of their young user base.

Although the ICO has not disclosed which games are under scrutiny, it announced plans to analyze several aspects, such as default privacy settings, geolocation features, and the approach to targeted advertising, along with any other privacy concerns identified during the examination. More details can be found on the organization’s official page.

Given that about 90% of children are engaged with digital devices, and with 84% of parents anxious about online threats confronting their children, this review emphasizes mobile games following progress in enhancing children's privacy on social networking and video-sharing sites, as noted in the children's code strategy enforced by the ICO.

Furthermore, the office highlighted that roughly 30% of children have quit a mobile game due to worries about data handling, and a significant number of parents express apprehension regarding the sharing of their children's data and how game companies target ads at minors.

UK Information Commissioner, John Edwards, expressed, "Children's digital interactions aren’t limited to platforms like social media and video sharing; games significantly contribute to their online experience."

He added, "Our preliminary findings indicate many mobile games possess features that might infringe on privacy, prompting crucial questions regarding their design and alignment with the ICO’s Children's code specifications."

"We’re broadening our approach to ensure mobile games adhere to the strict data protection standards established for other platforms."

Recently, The New York Times reported a “tense” interview with Roblox's CEO, David Baszucki, regarding the company's child protection efforts.

In a discussion on the Hard Fork podcast, Baszucki, when confronted about his confidence in child safety measures, avoided discussing specific cases but affirmed, "We’re implementing these measures because it's the right course of action, independent of forthcoming legislation."