Nexus Mods Gets a Bit More Grown-Up: Age Verification Coming to UK & EU - But Is It Overkill?
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Nexus Mods is implementing age verification for UK and EU users accessing adult content due to new online safety laws, leading to some community concerns about data privacy and content tagging vagueness.
Right, so Nexus Mods, that glorious digital bazaar where we tinker with our favourite games until they barely resemble the originals, is about to get a tad more…official. According to Rock Paper Shotgun, (bless their hearts for keeping an eye on these things), UK and EU users are facing age verification for adult mods.
Now, before everyone grabs their pitchforks (or, you know, starts hoarding questionable mods), let's break this down. Apparently, this is down to the UK's Online Safety Act and the EU's Digital Services Act. Basically, governments are tightening the reins on online content, especially where the kiddies are concerned. Nexus Mods, understandably, wants to avoid getting slapped with a hefty fine or, worse, being forced to nuke all adult content for an entire continent.
Site founder Robin 'Dark0ne' Scott (the wizard who built this modding kingdom, basically) chimed in to say, "This would've happened no matter who owned Nexus Mods." So, no need to blame the new overlords, Chosen; it's the law, mate.
Here's the gist: if you're in the UK or EU and want to get your eyeballs on mods tagged as, ahem, 'adult,' you'll need to prove you're, well, an adult. The specifics are still hazy, which is causing some understandable grumbling in the community. What kind of data will they need? How secure will it be? Will it involve a blood sacrifice to appease the digital gods? Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea.
But wait, there's more! Nexus Mods is also rolling out revised tags for adult content, including categories like "Pornographic," "Extreme Violence," "Harmful substances," "Suicide," and even "Swearing or Profanity." Now, some of these are pretty clear-cut, but others, like "Depression" or "Extreme Violence," raise a few eyebrows. I mean, haven't we all played games where the protagonist is knee-deep in existential angst while simultaneously dispatching hordes of enemies? Where do you draw the line? This sounds like a coding nightmare, and for the moderators a content moderation one at that, fair dinkum.
You’ll be able to filter these tags, so if you are not interested in any of these tags then you can block them, which is handy.
SlugGirl, Nexus Mods content team lead, assures everyone that they're trying to make the transition as smooth as possible. But let's be honest, any change like this is bound to ruffle some feathers. The lack of specifics is the real sticking point here. Gamers are generally a reasonable bunch (mostly!), but they hate feeling like they're being kept in the dark.
So, what does this all mean for us gamers? Well, if you're in the UK or EU, get ready to potentially jump through some extra hoops to access adult mods. And keep an eye out for more details on the age verification process. Hopefully, Nexus Mods will be transparent about how they're handling our data. Otherwise, we might just have to stage a virtual protest. Who's with me?
Tags: Nexus Mods, Modding, Age Verification, Online Safety, Gaming News
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun