ESRB Privacy Certified

We’re turning 30, and you’re invited to our birthday party! Since opening our doors in 1994, nearly every boxed video game has come through our offices on our quest to provide age and content ratings to families. We couldn’t be prouder to be a small (but invaluable!) part of the video game development and distribution process, supporting some of the most visionary and creative works of media and entertainment. But of course, we would be nowhere without the parents and caregivers who continue to trust and use the ratings to help decide what’s appropriate for their kids. Yesterday, we dropped #EisForEveryone, a celebratory music video exploring our role(s) in the video game landscape. You can find that, and more, in our latest blog: #VideoGames #ESRB #GamesIndustry

This is a significant, consequential week for the United States and the world. I can't (and won't) claim that anything in my personal universe is as weighty as our upcoming election. (Go vote if you haven't already!) But, in the narrower sphere of interactive entertainment, I'll be addressing an important topic for video game and entertainment lawyers - the ethics of responsible gaming - at the University of California, Los Angeles - School of Law/American Bar Association Digital Media & Video Game Conference on Friday. Guided by Maria Abesa, our moderator, Andrew Bardi, Felix Hilgert, Zach Lewis, Esq. and I will discuss how lawyers should navigate key regulatory issues relating to privacy, monetization, and kids when laws are unclear or outdated. I'll be tackling this topic through ESRB Privacy Certified's self-regulatory compliance and certification lens. If you're going to be at the conference (or anywhere in the vicinity), let me know. I'll only be on the ground in LA briefly, but I'd love to meet up.

Now that I'm back from #vacation (sigh), I'm looking forward to my November West Coast swing, starting with the University of California, Los Angeles - School of Law's Digital Media and & Video Game Conference on Friday, November 8. I'll be speaking on a panel titled, "Ethics and Responsible Gaming," along with Felix Hilgert and Zach Lewis, Esq. that - as conceived of by Maria Abesa - will consider how lawyers should navigate key regulatory issues in the the video game industry relating to privacy, monetization, and kids when laws aren't keeping pace with advances in underlying technologies. How should lawyers balance their clients' interests and the public good when they conflict? I'll be approaching this provocative topic, of course, from ESRB Privacy Certified's unique perspective as a self-regulatory compliance and certification organization. My panel is part of a full day of fascinating discussions organized by the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology & Sports Law | UCLA School of Law and the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law & Policy in association with the American Bar Association's Forum on Sports and Entertainment Industries. Registration, program, and CLE info is here: https://lnkd.in/eNRarU3w.

So excited that the PerfectPetPal case study about a fictional pet simulator app that I developed for a panel on "Implementing Kid's Privacy Protections Around the World" at the IAPP - International Association of Privacy Professionals EU Data Protection Congress last fall is now live. Special thanks to my co-authors Timothy M., Anna Morgan, and Jonathan Tam and to additional collaborators Kieran Donovan, Shauna Joyce, and Michelle Ma for a truly global effort! Not to brag too much, but the hypo is a lot of fun and I can imagine many privacy colleagues using it, riffing on it, and updating it (given the warp speed of kids' privacy developments) as the basis for trainings and presentations! You can check it out at the link below or find it on the IAPP ResourceCenter.

🌟 Voting is now open for SXSW's PanelPicker! 🌟 Industry experts at k-ID, ESRB Privacy Certified, Family Online Safety Institute and Another Axiom have come together to discuss how to protect kids and teens online while empowering them with access. In their proposed SXSW panel, “Access to Play: Protecting Children and Privacy,” they will draw on insights gained from navigating complex legal regulations and a frustrating array of onboarding processes to shape real solutions. Join moderator Stephen Balkam and panelists Kieran Donovan, Stacy Feuer, and Jennifer Lane in helping them get to SXSW! 🎉 Voting ends on August 18! SXSW PanelPicker® https://lnkd.in/gfc3SrJz #sxsw #sxsw2025 #panelpicker #kidsonlinesafety #onlinesafety

It's almost June, gulp! Which means that Shanna Pearce of Epic Games and I will be heading to LA next week for the Video Game Bar Association's Annual Summit to talk about the high-stakes challenges video game companies face in protecting the privacy and safety of their child and teen players. Looking forward to the conversation and to catching up with many VGBA colleagues. Info below.