The European Commission introduced the EU KIDS Act on 17 September, a proposed regulation designed to protect minors online. The regulation includes provisions related to video games, aiming to address online risks for children. Ross Scott, founder of the Stop Killing Games movement, has raised concerns that the text could potentially make all private servers illegal. Gamer’s Voice, the British branch of Stop Killing Games, expressed caution in its 4 October report, noting that a complete ban on all servers is an exaggeration, but acknowledging a legal ambiguity that might lead hosting providers to shut down certain services. The European Parliament and the Council still need to review the proposal and may modify it before it becomes law. The proposed regulation limits the creation of accounts on social networks before the age of 15 and includes rules on the value of virtual currencies in games. It classifies video games as "information society services," a term used to describe any service that is typically offered for payment, remotely, electronically, and on an individual request. The Court of Justice of the European Union has interpreted "payment" broadly, as seen in the 2016 McFadden ruling, where free Wi-Fi provided in exchange for advertising was considered an economic service. Under this interpretation, a game server open to the public—whether free or funded by donations or advertising—could be affected by the regulation. Gamer’s Voice has outlined different scenarios: a password-protected server used by friends or family is likely to remain outside the regulation's scope, while a public server may fall under its provisions. Donations used to cover hosting costs could give a server an economic character, which might trigger regulatory obligations. The association acknowledges that only a court can determine the applicability of the regulation on a case-by-case basis. The regulation defines "online game" to include games downloaded and run locally, excluding only those sold exclusively on physical media. Linux distribution repositories offering games would also fall under the regulation's scope. A solo game installed on a machine could be targeted if it includes an online license check (DRM), telemetry data, or cloud backup. Many recent games, including solo ones, use at least one of these functions, making them potentially subject to the regulation. The regulation does not provide exemptions for small or micro-enterprises. Obligations such as secure design (safety-by-design) and parental controls could apply as soon as a game is launched locally. Compliance for an old title that is no longer updated could be very expensive or even impossible. The Commission assumes this risk, noting in its explanatory memorandum that small and micro-enterprises can also harm minors, and excluding them would contradict the regulation’s objective. Educational and scientific non-profit repositories, as well as platforms for open source software development and sharing, are excluded from the regulation. The EU is open to feedback, and Gamer’s Voice has requested the European Parliament and the Council to revise the proposal. Specifically, it asks to remove from the text games that are executed locally and have no real-time multiplayer or public content sharing. It also seeks exemptions for games that are no longer developed and those whose source code is no longer available. Additionally, it requests that mandatory parental controls apply only to games where players communicate in real time. The European Parliament has opened a consultation period from 1 October to 26 November, during which European citizens can freely give their opinion on the proposed law.