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Microsoft to require age verification for R18+ purchases on Xbox and Microsoft Store in Australia

Microsoft will require age verification for purchases or access to 18+ apps and games on the Microsoft Store and Xbox Store in Australia starting August 2026. Users can verify via email, a secure selfie facial-age check, credit card, or government ID (driver's licence or passport); verification will be performed by London-based VerifyMy. The change implements Australia's new age-verification rules amid similar moves in the UK and parts of the US and raises data-security concerns because verification providers have suffered past breaches and other stores such as Steam and PlayStation have not applied comparable checks in Australia.

• Requirement begins in August 2026 and covers purchases and access to apps and games rated 18+ on Microsoft Store and Xbox Store in Australia.
• Accepted verification methods are email-based checks, facial age estimation via a secure selfie, credit card, or government ID (driver's licence or passport).
• Microsoft will use London-based verification company VerifyMy to perform age checks.
• The policy follows new age-verification rules in Australia and the UK; verification tech has been linked to security incidents (including a 2025 breach exposing 70,000 government photo IDs), and Steam and PlayStation have not implemented equivalent Australian age checks.