Important Concepts

To integrate k-ID into a game, the following steps need to be taken:

• Determine how the game will get the player location and date of birth
• Define the under-age experience before consent has been granted
• Match k-ID Permissions to features in the game

Getting Player Location and Date of Birth

In order to implement k-ID age verification and consent workflows, the game must acquire two pieces of information about the player: the player’s location (or jurisdiction), and the player's date of birth.

Location

While location can be self-declared by the player, the preferred way of getting location information is to invoke a service from the game that responds with information about the player’s IP address. The location string can be either an ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (e.g. US) or an ISO 3166-2 subdivision code (e.g. US-CA). It is recommended to always provide the subdivision code whenever possible. This is because even if a region currently does not have localized regulations, it may have them in the future. By providing the subdivision code, we can ensure that the player's permissions can be adjusted as regulations change.

Notes:

• Some games may have their own protections in place to detect and prevent location spoofing (e.g., through players using VPNs). Make sure that the location that is sent to the k-ID API has been validated by these tools as applicable before it is sent in order to avoid an incorrect configuration.

• As a best practice, a player’s jurisdiction is considered static when the player first launches the game, and cannot be changed except if the customer files a support request - this is to discourage players from “forum shopping” to enable features that should otherwise be disabled in their jurisdiction.

One example to get the location for the player’s IP address is to call a service like https://ipapi.co/json, which produces results similar to the json shown below.

{
    "ip": "76.22.71.171",
    "network": "76.22.68.0/22",
    "version": "IPv4",
    "city": "Issaquah",
    "region": "Washington",
    "region_code": "WA",
    "country": "US",
    "country_name": "United States",
    "country_code": "US",
    "country_code_iso3": "USA",
    "country_capital": "Washington",
    "country_tld": ".us",
    "continent_code": "NA",
    "in_eu": false,
    "postal": "98027",
    "latitude": 47.4998,
    "longitude": -122.0086,
    "timezone": "America/Los_Angeles",
    "utc_offset": "-0800",
    "country_calling_code": "+1",
    "currency": "USD",
    "currency_name": "Dollar",
    "languages": "en-US,es-US,haw,fr",
    "country_area": 9629091.0,
    "country_population": 327167434,
    "asn": "AS7922",
    "org": "COMCAST-7922"
}

Date of Birth

The date of birth is a string that can be provided to the API in any of the following formats: YYYY, YYYY-MM, or YYYY-MM-DD. The jurisdiction determines whether a game must ask the player their age when first starting to play the game. If the jurisdiction requires that the player give an age, then a user interface element to collect the date of birth should be shown. This is called an age gate.

When showing an age gate, a best practice is to show a “neutral age gate”, one which does not have an age already set so the user has to take action to set an age. Additionally, if the age gate uses a slider for the age value, it is recommended by the ESRB that the maximum age in a slider age gate should be 35.

If the age gate does not need to be shown in the current jurisdiction, then the player can proceed without further checks and their date of birth will be unassigned.

Assuring Player Age

In jurisdictions where it is allowed, the k-ID Facial Age Estimation feature can be used to estimate a player's age to determine if it matches the date of birth given by the player in an age gate. Use of Facial Age Estimation will significantly increase the chances that a player is truthful about their age. When using this approach, there two several scenarios that need to be addressed.

• The age range given by Facial Age Estimation contains or is higher than the date of birth given by the player. In this case the date of birth can be used.
• The age range is lower than the self-declared age. In this case, it is recommended to assume the lowest age in the range. The user should be informed that the age doesn't match, and then the player can be asked to restate a lower age that is in the range, or appeal the age estimation.

Handling Under-Age Users Without Parental Consent

If a player gives an age that requires parental consent, the game must determine what to do before consent is granted by a parent. There are several possible approaches, including blocking access entirely and waiting on the parental consent challenge screen, or granting limited access to a “data-lite” experience of the game.

In the example below, the player is blocked from continuing while a Consent Challenge window is displayed.

Matching k-ID Permissions to Game Features

Permissions in the k-ID Global Compliance Database represent classifications of game features that are addressed in regulations in one or more jurisdisctions worldwide. Permissions are configured in the Publisher Portal for the game. Each k-ID Permission that matches a game feature should be enabled in the k-ID Publisher Portal (shown below). The k-ID Permissions chosen will be presented to parents to enable or disable when they give consent for a child to play a game.

Below is an example of what a parent sees when granting consent in the k-ID Family Portal.

When displaying features in the game that are mapped to k-ID Permissions, the Session should be checked to see whether the feature is enabled, and whether the player is allowed to turn it on. More details about how to handle k-ID permissions are covered in the Permissions section of the documentation.

The table below lists the available permissions that can be managed in the Publisher Portal:

Category	Identifier	Feature	Current Text to Parents
ai-customization	ai-generated-avatars	AI-generated Avatars	Your child can use generative AI technology to create their in-game avatar, which represents them in the game to others.
	ai-chatbot	AI Chatbot	Your child can interact with a chatbot that uses generative AI, such as for gameplay or support functions.
communication	text-chat-private	Text Chat (Private)	Your child can communicate freely with others through direct messages.
	chat-rooms-public	Text Chat (Public)	Your child can engage in 1-to-many free-form communications with other players.
	voice-chat	Voice Chat	Your child can talk to others using their voice.
	video-chat	Video Chat	Your child can have video conversations with others.
	link-to-third-party-chat	Link to Third-Party Chat	Your child can access and use an external chat app to communicate outside of the game.
community	join-groups	Join Groups	Your child can join and interact with persistent player groups, such as guilds or clans, within the game.
	virtual-events	Virtual Events	Your child can join special limited-time online activities hosted within the game.
	forums	Forums	Your child can join forums where posts will be visible outside of the game.
content-moderation	user-generated-content	User-Generated Content	Your child can create and share custom content, and see custom content shared by others.
	mature-language	Mature Language	Your child may encounter mature content in the game. (This does not cover interactions with other players.)
content-sharing	share-game-clips-screenshots	Share Game Clips/Screenshots	Your child can share their recorded game clips and screenshots with others.
	gameplay-streaming	Gameplay Streaming	Your child's gameplay can be broadcast live for others to watch.
	gameplay-recording	Gameplay Recording	Your child can record their gameplay sessions and upload them online.
	link-to-third-party-streaming-app	Link to Third-Party Streaming App	Your child can connect their game account to an external streaming platform.
game-controls	augmented-reality	Augmented Reality	Your child can use features that blend the virtual world with their real environment using the device's camera.
gameplay	multiplayer	Online Multiplayer	Your child can play with one or more other players online.
	leaderboard-and-rankings	Leaderboard and Rankings	Your child can participate in competitive leaderboards, where their username and profile picture may be visible to others.
marketing	contextual-ads	Contextual Ads	Your child will see ads within the game that are related to the game's content or activities.
	targeted-ads	Targeted Ads	Your child will see ads within the game and on other platforms that are tailored to their interests.
	direct-marketing	Direct Marketing	Your child may receive marketing emails, text messages or phone calls from the game publisher or their partners.
notification	push-notifications	Push Notifications	Your child will receive notifications on their device from the game, even when the app is not actively in use.
privacy	profiling	Profiling	Your child's activity will be analyzed to predict their behavior and preferences.
	camera-access	Camera Access	Your child can allow access to their device's camera.
	photo-video-sharing	Photo/Video Sharing	Your child can upload and share photos or videos with others.
	real-time-location-sharing	Precise Location Sharing	Your child can share their precise location, such as street level or even specific coordinates, with others.
	motion-data	Motion Data	Your child's device can upload motion data, such as movement and physical activity, to the game.
profile-customization	custom-avatar	Custom Avatar	Your child can create an avatar in the game to represent themselves to others.
	custom-username	Custom Username	Your child can create a unique username visible to others.
profile-visibility	public-profile	Public Profile	Your child can create a public profile that is visible to others, which may include personal information.
	online-status	Online Status	Others will be able to see when your child is online.
recommendations	personalized-recommendations	Personalized Recommendations	Your child can receive personalized in-game content and recommendations based on their profile.
social	public-friend-list	Public Friend List	Your child's list of friends will be visible to others.
	send-accept-friend-requests	Send/Accept Friend Requests	Your child can send and accept friend requests from others.
virtual-economy	in-game-purchases	In-Game Purchases	Your child can use real money to buy items or content within the game.
	loot-boxes-cosmetic-only	Loot Boxes Cosmetic Only	Your child can purchase items that provide randomized cosmetic rewards such as outfits or skins.
	loot-boxes-gameplay-impacting	Paid Loot Boxes Gameplay Impacting	Your child can spend money to buy randomized items that can affect how the game is played, such as better equipment or abilities.
	loot-boxes-open-loop	Loot Boxes Open Loop	Your child can spend real money on items that yield randomized in-game rewards; rewards can be exchanged for real money.
	loot-boxes-kompu-gacha	Loot Boxes Kompu Gacha	Your child can participate in Kompu Gacha.
	send-gifts	Send Gifts	Your child can send and receive in-game items to and from others as gifts.
	simulated-gambling	Simulated Gambling	Your child can encounter mechanics that simulate the experience of gambling, such as chips, dice, or slot machines.
	virtual-property-ownership	Virtual Property Ownership	Your child can sell or trade virtual items to others for real-world money or other valuable digital assets.