Game studios would be banned from selling loot boxes to minors under new bill

On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) announced that he would be introducing a bill banning “manipulative” design features in video games with underage audiences, including the sale of loot boxes.

The legislation would, if approved, prohibit the sale of loot boxes in games targeted at children under the age of 18. Games marketed toward wider audiences could also face penalties from regulators like the Federal Trade Commission if companies knowingly allow children to purchase these randomized crates.

“Social media and video games prey on user addiction, siphoning our kids’ attention from the real world and extracting profits from fostering compulsive habits,” Hawley said. “No matter this business model’s advantages to the tech industry,…

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